Warning: another intelligent design book... - Rated 
The idea to write a book about trees is great, and the book cover is great too.
However, not only the author is often vague in his arguments, but he keeps going on about his belief in God, and (it becomes clear after a few pages) intelligent design.
Indeed page 54 he uses the well known intelligent design wrong argument, claiming that creationism (as in Genesis) and atheism are both extreme positions ("Neither of these extreme positions is valid"), and that the truth lies in the middle etc...
This "argument" is of course wrong, and for 2 reasons :
1. The author chooses what he wants to appear as a moderate position (intelligent design), and then two other positions so that his position is in the middle. He then claims that the two other positions are "extreme" and comes up as a moderate by believing in the middle position.
Using the same argument he could say "Norway is neither North of the Tropic of Cancer, nore is it South of the Tropic of Capricorn, these are two extreme positions. The truth lies in the middle and Norway is indeed inbetween the two tropics, near the Equator".
2. The second reason for which this argument is wrong is that either God exists, or God does not exist. There are only two possibilities. And the author makes it look like if there were three (by dividing the "God exists" possibilities in two possibilities)!!!
The first one being "God doesn t exist", the second one "God exists and Genesis is true", and the 3rd one "God exists but Genesis is wrong". Of course the intelligent design people need to do this in order to use the argument in the previous paragraph as the arguement requires three possibilities, not two.
I have just talked about one particular shocking argument in the book. Even if it was the only one, that should be enough to put you off, rightly. But there are many more.... ("Many biologists believe in God" !!! etc...)
So, one star, for the book cover, which - I say it again - is great.
You really have to be a tree anorak, and even then.... - Rated 
I have no doubt Colin Tudge is committed to trees and knows them intimately. His book does have astonishing facts and anecdotes about the inner workings of trees around the world and I truly enjoyed those bits. But first, the book bludgeons you with endless chapters on Latin taxonomy. Only in the last third does he see fit to write about the trees themselves in any accessible way. I'm utterly perplexed by the reviews... Good science writing should not be pedantic. Both he and his editor should ask themselves how they could waste so many trees and come up with something so dense and dull!
Pure Delight - Rated 
I have said before that I am a fan of Colin Tudge's writing and my enthusiasm is increased by this lovely book.
It is always a pleasure to read a book by someone who loves what they are writing about, and Tudge's admiration for trees comes through so clearly in this work. He manages to cover pretty much everything, ranging effortlessly across the botany of trees, covering (surprisingly thorughly) all the major families, noting their particular features, the curious nature of some reproductive techniques (and some really are curious!) and touching on the economic and historical importance of some species.
Finally he looks at the ecological role of trees and how they fit into the jigsaw of life in a wider sense.
I cannot see how this book could be improved - the writing is fluid and entertaining and the science clearly explained. A wonderful gift to anyone interested in the natural world. Certainly I now look much more closely at the hedgerows and woods that I pass while walking the dog!
Highly recommended.
For Tree Lovers Everywhere - Rated 
I loved this book.
More of a text book than anything else, but full of amazing facts about trees that occasionally made me stop reading and tell people what I had just read.
I now want to own land and plant trees and save as many endangered species as possible before they are lost for good.
Amazing.
A very refreshing read - Rated
This is one of those amazing books that has so much depth and richness to it that it makes it impossible to praise it enough. The book is quirky, full of interesting insights and facts, it's a historical/scientific document that serves to open our eyes to the wonders of nature. It covers all you could wish to learn about the subject and cannot fail to impress the reader with it's inventiveness and sheer creativity on the subject.
|
