It is a little unusual to see a mainstream publication so specifically focused on a topic with such personal relevance, taking up prime retail shelf space on the high street. I was therefore particularly intrigued when I happened upon this volume whilst browsing in my local bookshop.

The brief quotes from reviewers adorning an eye-catching green and gold cover gave away very little but with the brooding presence of an annual woodland conference looming in my diary, I made an investment decision that this could be a worthwhile and legitimate business expense, suitable for engaging my colleagues; so I bought eight copies.

I conducted only a brief background investigation on the Author Tristan Gooley to assess his credentials but mindful not to form any premature opinions on the book. He is an author with some pedigree, having previously published works about the natural world; from The Natural Navigator to The Secret World of Weather and How to Connect with Nature. The short introduction to the author on the inside cover does not attempt to impress the reader with academic qualifications and in many respects, this sets the tone of his writing, as it consists mainly of a series of naturally acquired skills and observations based on his interest in his surroundings rather than scientific data.

It makes it no less interesting to read to say that much of the book relates mainly to some fairly obvious environmental factors in relation to the growth of trees. Beyond the individual genetic make-up of a tree these are the critical determinants that will affect how each specimen will grow. The main influences being light and wind. The book then also spends time looking at other influences from topography, disease and preferred habitat for different tree species. 

There is far too much detail to examine here but suffice to say that it is the way in which, what some might consider a slightly dry topic, is bought to life that makes this book so readable. Through a series of short anecdotes Tristan Gooley relates his own personal experiences as a means of bringing relevance to the text.  It is the very fact that there are relatively few principal variables involved with tree growth, that makes this study so appealing and accessible. We are taught to identify daily sights as we pass beneath the trees but do not always stop to contemplate their origins and ultimately how simple the explanation usually is. 

Mature oak in winter

There is a good deal of interesting observation in this book and Tristan Gooley is right to say that it can change the way you look at both individual trees and the wider woodland landscape. Inevitably there will be a degree of repetition and at times the detail may seem a lot to engage with but it is certainly an interesting read for the many of us who spend a lot of time in the natural environment and also for those that may only occasionally contemplate the trees they encounter.

Perhaps the most important point that I took from the book is to remind us that the countryside need not necessarily just be passed through in a hasty green blur on the way to somewhere else but that the greater reward is to be found in less hurried wanderings. By losing track of time for a while we give ourselves the opportunity to observe and appreciate a little more of what is happening around us.