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Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest Hardcover – Deckle Edge, May 4, 2021

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 4,195 ratings

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From the world's leading forest ecologist who forever changed how people view trees and their connections to one another and to other living things in the forest—a moving, deeply personal journey of discovery

Finding the Mother Tree reminds us that the world is a web of stories, connecting us to one another. [The book] carries the stories of trees, fungi, soil and bears--and of a human being listening in on the conversation. The interplay of personal narrative, scientific insights and the amazing revelations about the life of the forest make a compelling story.”—Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass

Suzanne Simard is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide.

In this, her first book, now available in paperback, Simard brings us into her world, the intimate world of the trees, in which she brilliantly illuminates the fascinating and vital truths--that trees are not simply the source of timber or pulp, but are a complicated, interdependent circle of life; that forests are social, cooperative creatures connected through underground networks by which trees communicate their vitality and vulnerabilities with communal lives not that different from our own.

Simard writes--in inspiring, illuminating, and accessible ways—how trees, living side by side for hundreds of years, have evolved, how they learn and adapt their behaviors, recognize neighbors, compete and cooperate with one another with sophistication, characteristics ascribed to human intelligence, traits that are the essence of civil societies--and at the center of it all, the Mother Trees: the mysterious, powerful forces that connect and sustain the others that surround them.

And Simard writes of her own life, born and raised into a logging world in the rainforests of British Columbia, of her days as a child spent cataloging the trees from the forest and how she came to love and respect them. And as she writes of her scientific quest, she writes of her own journey, making us understand how deeply human scientific inquiry exists beyond data and technology, that it is about understanding who we are and our place in the world.
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Popular Highlights in this book

From the Publisher

time wall street journal

reminds us that the world is a web of stories says author of braiding sweetgrass

utterly compelling says charlotte gill

future of this planet depends on our ability to understand nature

Editorial Reviews

Review

One of the Wall Street Journal's Ten Best Books of the Year • One of the Best Books of the Year: TIME, The Washington Post

“Vivid and inspiring . . . For Simard, personal experience leads to revelation, and scientific revelation leads to personal insight . . .
Finding the Mother Tree helps make sense of a forest of mysteries. It might even persuade you that organisms other than ourselves—even fungi—have agency.”—Eugenia Bone, The Wall Street Journal
 
“Simard creates her own complex network in this memoir, by weaving the story of [her] discoveries with vignettes from her past. The themes of her research—cooperation, the legacies that one generation leaves for the next, the ways in which organisms react to and recover from stress and disease—are also themes in her own life. The network of friends, family and colleagues who support Simard, as a scientist and as a woman, is visible throughout . . . It feels like a privilege to be let into her life.”—Emma Marris,
Nature
 
“Simard’s memoir describes the intersecting webs of her career and private life that brought her to rewrite not only the forestry canon but our understanding of nature itself. She is an intellectual force whose powerful ideas overshadow her name . . . Like Charles Darwin’s findings, Simard’s results are so revolutionary and controversial that they have quickly worked their way into social theory, urban planning, culture and art. Simard’s work knocked 19th-century notions of inevitable competition off their pedestals. If a forest is a commons where the fate of the weakest is tied to that of the strongest, then we have a lot of rethinking to do.”—
The Washington Post

"Simard has spent decades with her hands in the soil, designing experiments and piecing together the remarkable mysteries of forest ecology . . . elegantly detailed . . . deeply personal . . . A testament to Simard’s skill as a science communicator. Her research is clearly defined, the steps of her experiments articulated, her astonishing results explained and the implications laid bare: We ignore the complexity of forests at our peril.”—
The New York Times

“[Simard] shares the wisdom of a life of listening to the forest . . . a scientific memoir as gripping as any HBO drama series.”—
The Observer

Finding the Mother Tree reminds us that the world is a web of stories, connecting us to one another. Her vivid manuscript carries the stories of trees, fungi, soil and bears--and of a human being listening in on the conversation. The interplay of personal narrative, scientific insights and the amazing revelations about the life of the forest make a compelling story. Dr. Simard’s journey as a scientist embodies the power of curiosity coupled to commitment to listen to the natural world and the courage to share what she has learned, against the resistance of scientific establishment. I have great admiration for her science and her storytelling alike. These are stories that the world needs to hear.”—Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass

"It completely overturned my view of nature."--Kristin Ohlson,
New York Times bestselling author

"I can think of no one better suited to bring humanity into the process of science."--J. C. Cahill, professor of plant ecology at the University of Alberta

"What Simard is revealing here has implications and potential on the scale of mapping the human genome. Simard is one of this planet's most insightful and eloquent translators."--John Vaillant, bestselling author of
The Tiger, Jaguar's Children, and The Golden Spruce

"The stories Simard tells, and the insights she draws from them, will inspire readers and change the way they think about the world around them."--Catherine Gehring, professor of biology at Northern Arizona University

"This book will have profound implications for our human relationships with the natural world. The insights presented by Dr. Simard point toward a complete paradigm shift in the ways we humans interact with forests, trees, and other species."--Nancy Jean Turner, professor of ethnobotany at the University of Victoria, author of
The Earth's Blanket

“Galvanizing . . . As Simard elucidates her revolutionary experiments, replete with
gorgeous descriptions and moments of fear and wonder, a vision of the forest as an ‘intelligent, perceptive and responsive,’ comes into focus . . . A masterwork of planetary significance.” —
Booklist (starred review)
 
“Simard artfully blends science with memoir in her eye-opening debut on the ‘startling secrets’ of trees . . . As moving as it is educational, this groundbreaking work entrances.”—
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“Simard tells the fascinating story that led Richard Powers to base a character on her in his Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Overstory . . . intimate . . . absorbing . . . engaging . . . the science is solid, and the author’s overarching theme of stewardship is clear, understandable, and necessary.”—
Kirkus 

About the Author

SUZANNE SIMARD was born in the Monashee Mountains of British Columbia and was educated at the University of British Columbia and Oregon State University. She is Professor of Forest Ecology in the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Forestry.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf; First Edition, Second Printing (May 4, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 052565609X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525656098
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.36 x 9.52 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 4,195 ratings

About the author

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Suzanne Simard
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Suzanne Simard is a Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia and the author of the upcoming book, Finding the Mother Tree (May 4th 2021).

She is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; and has been hailed as a scientist who conveys complex, technical ideas in a way that is dazzling and profound. Her work has influenced filmmakers (the Tree of Souls in James Cameron’s Avatar) and her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide.

Suzanne is known for her work on how trees interact and communicate using below-ground fungal networks, which has led to the recognition that forests have hub trees, or Mother Trees, which are large, highly connected trees that play an important role in the flow of information and resources in a forest. Her current research investigates how these complex relationships contribute to forest resiliency, adaptability and recovery and has far-reaching implications for how to manage and heal forests from human impacts, including climate change.

Suzanne has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and presented at conferences around the world. She has communicated her work to a wide audience through interviews, documentary films and her TEDTalk “How trees talk to one another”.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4,195 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative and well-written, providing an understanding of the interconnectedness of the forest and its importance to our planet. They describe it as a charming read with a good dose of science. The writing quality is described as rich and well-crafted, with attention to detail. Readers appreciate the personal story and the author's love for nature. Overall, they describe the book as a wonderful look deep inside nature with phenomenal photos.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

115 customers mention "Insight"108 positive7 negative

Customers find the book informative and engaging. They appreciate the author's skill in explaining complex biological and ecological concepts while incorporating her personal journey. The book provides an understanding of the interconnectedness of the forest and its importance to our planet. Readers enjoy the science aspects and references for further reading. Overall, they describe it as a unique opportunity to learn and appreciate how little we know.

"...She takes us to the forest and her laboratory, and invites us into her research and analysis, sharing the thrill of discovery and the development..." Read more

"The book is very detailed in terms of science, forestry, and botany...." Read more

"...but has always been repulsed by clear cuts, this was a unique opportunity to learn and to appreciate how little we understand about the way nature..." Read more

"...I loved the science aspects of the book. Simard explains how mycorrhizas - an association between fungi and trees - are mutually beneficial to both...." Read more

100 customers mention "Readability"100 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe it as a fascinating read about the interconnected community of trees. Readers say it's worth staying with until the end, a must-read for all, and a great follow-up to The Overstory.

"...She fashions a compelling read and an intimate autobiography. This book is intriguing on a number of levels, and you come away with a new..." Read more

"A wonderful and humble telling of how a scientist makes new knowledge from the perspective of the challenges of everyday life...." Read more

"Great folow up after reading the Overstory" Read more

"Simard has written a lovely memoir with a good dose of forest ecology and botany thrown in...." Read more

58 customers mention "Writing quality"54 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They appreciate the rich prose, well-constructed content, and author's attention to detail. The author weaves stories of her own family into the content. The book is described as easy to read and brings science and knowledge together.

"...An engaging writer, she also weaves in her family life and her struggles with established science and industrial practices...." Read more

"...I especially appreciate that most of the writing is easily accessible to those of us who are not scientists and not knowledgeable about forests." Read more

"A wonderful and humble telling of how a scientist makes new knowledge from the perspective of the challenges of everyday life...." Read more

"...This book is a gem both for the content and quality of its presentation. I will be giving many copies as gifts." Read more

47 customers mention "Story quality"38 positive9 negative

Customers find the story engaging and entertaining. They describe it as a nice, fascinating account of a beautiful soul butting heads with science. The book is described as an effective blend of science, personal story, and the author's profound insights.

"...This book is a well-merited and greatly enjoyed celebration of our curiosity. Reading this book is like a series of coffees with a bright and..." Read more

"An dramatic, first person scientific discovery journey...." Read more

"...The book was entertaining and informative." Read more

"Every piece of it is relevant. This is a remarkable story of observation with science - to study the PNW ecosystem, starting with the sawyer..." Read more

33 customers mention "Love of nature"33 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's love for nature. They find it a meaningful memoir about their inner-connectedness with the forest and trees. The book teaches them that their love of trees is well-founded, and it will appeal to nature lovers around the world. Readers describe the trees as intelligent beings with a legacy of forest wisdom.

"...This is also a celebration of one’s curiosity and our emotional connections to the earth and other living beings. “Finding the Mother Tree..." Read more

"The book is very detailed in terms of science, forestry, and botany...." Read more

"...written a lovely memoir with a good dose of forest ecology and botany thrown in...." Read more

"...Your legacy is forest wisdom. By developing relationships, we readers can connect with the world wood web and help nature do its business." Read more

14 customers mention "Beauty"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's beauty. They find it an excellent look into nature with phenomenal photos. The book is described as a memoir, an introductory science text, and a love letter to nature and trees.

"...The last chapter of her book is beautiful and profound...." Read more

"...There are also some beautiful pictures of forest environments, some in color and some black and white...." Read more

"My daughter loves nature and trees. I gave her this as a gift, was highly recommended to me wonderful book." Read more

"...And there are plenty of photos to help the reader visualize the experience. This book is a gem both for the content and quality of its presentation...." Read more

10 customers mention "Passion"10 positive0 negative

Customers praise the author's passion and dedication. They appreciate her emotional value and perseverance.

"For your endless energy, strong voice, dedication and persistence and most of all for never giving up in your pursuit of knowledge and understanding...." Read more

"...Thank you for your integrity and passion; and for teaching us the importance of listening with all of our senses." Read more

"...Intelligence, compassion and wisdom are all adjectives that can credibly be applied to the web…and to Dr. Simard herself who, frankly, should be..." Read more

"...And then is here a dedicated being, writing a humble book, about the most intricate interconnection one can only dream of...." Read more

9 customers mention "Climate change"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for understanding climate change and its impact on forests. They say it covers complex biological and ecological concepts in a clear manner. The book is considered essential for the health of the planet and its inhabitants, especially by biologists and ecologists.

"...of levels, and you come away with a new understanding of ecology, climate change, and the complexity of nature...." Read more

"Simard was brilliant in explaining complex biological and ecological concepts, while incorporating her deeply personal journey through discovery...." Read more

"A world we have no idea of.....yet essential to the health of our planet, to human beings and to our own mental sanity!..." Read more

"...than that, the trees of the world have the ability to save humankind from accelerating climate change, if only enough people sign up to protecting..." Read more

The Mother of all Tree Books, learn about how trees communicate
5 out of 5 stars
The Mother of all Tree Books, learn about how trees communicate
This is a fascinating book about the interconnected community of trees; how they can communicate and care for each other, and the amazing things that the author Suzanne Simard has learned in her years of studying the forest ecosystem.Simard grabbed my attention right away in the Introduction, with the information that the complex underground fungal communication network that trees use to share information, bears a striking resemblance to the structure of the synapses and nodes of the human brain. She mentions that the chemicals that the trees use to communicate are identical to our own neurotransmitters. When you consider the level of communication, and ability to share information about potential danger, it really seems as though humans need to rethink their perception of trees and the entire forest ecosystem.The book has 15 chapters, and about 300 pages, and describes Simard's own personal journey that led to amazing groundbreaking scientific discoveries. There is quite a bit of information about the life cycles and networks of trees and fungi, and I'm still trying to absorb all of it. I will probably have to go back and read this a few times. There are also some beautiful pictures of forest environments, some in color and some black and white.I appreciate Simard for her unique dedication to the forest, and her contributions to science. This book really has me excited to do more research about this topic.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2021
    Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, by Suzanne Simard (2021)

    Part of the master gardener’s experience is a heightened awakening to the complexities of relationships in the plant world, and how we can explore that and broaden our own relationship with life and the world. This book is a well-merited and greatly enjoyed celebration of our curiosity.
    Reading this book is like a series of coffees with a bright and curious friend who thrives on looking into the unanswered questions of how plants grow and how rich the world is in relationships.
    Simard, now a professor of ecology at the University of British Columbia, is the third generation of loggers and farmers. Her childhood curiosity and fascination with forests led her to pursue a career in forestry and ecology. She struggled with the established forest practices of clearcutting and indiscriminate spraying, and began researching the role of various fungal networks (mycorrizae). Her writing engaged me and I too became curious about fungus in the forest. I found it hard to put the book down.
    She takes us to the forest and her laboratory, and invites us into her research and analysis, sharing the thrill of discovery and the development of her thinking. An engaging writer, she also weaves in her family life and her struggles with established science and industrial practices. Part memoir, part heroic tale, part mystery, and part botanical adventure and intrigue, the book is hard to put down. She fashions a compelling read and an intimate autobiography.
    This book is intriguing on a number of levels, and you come away with a new understanding of ecology, climate change, and the complexity of nature. This is also a celebration of one’s curiosity and our emotional connections to the earth and other living beings.
    “Finding the Mother Tree promises to change our understanding about what is really going on when a tree falls in the forest, and other pressing mysteries of the natural world.” --- Michael Pollan
    53 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
    The book is very detailed in terms of science, forestry, and botany. At times it felt like too many details for someone unfamiliar with the topic, but it never lost my interest. The detailed accounts of the research were accompanied by details of the life of Suzanne Simard while she struggled with being heard in an industry that values more production over preservation. We accompany her through her research as well as her life, including grief, nostalgia, romance, sickness, etc. in other words, we see a complete human being figuring herself out while working for nature and against its destruction
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2024
    This autobiographical book takes us along the author’s journey from curious student to brilliant scientist as she asks, investigates, and then conclusively proves that forests are massive neural networks amazingly analogous to our human neural network.

    As someone who knows almost nothing about forests but has always been repulsed by clear cuts, this was a unique opportunity to learn and to appreciate how little we understand about the way nature works. It’s a resounding rebuttal to our human beliefs in mankind’s inherent superiority over all else and that the whole world is built around a competition model. I especially appreciate that most of the writing is easily accessible to those of us who are not scientists and not knowledgeable about forests.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024
    A wonderful and humble telling of how a scientist makes new knowledge from the perspective of the challenges of everyday life. Not being a scientist myself, I didn't get as much out of the more detailed description s of the natural processes as others might.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2024
    Great folow up after reading the Overstory
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2021
    Simard has written a lovely memoir with a good dose of forest ecology and botany thrown in. Simard intertwines the story of her family and her discoveries as a scientist. I loved the science aspects of the book. Simard explains how mycorrhizas - an association between fungi and trees - are mutually beneficial to both. Furthermore, she discovered that this mycorrhizal association permits trees of different species and fungi to signal each other about stresses in the environment (e.g., fire, insects) with the larger, older trees able to provide sustenance to younger trees. Simard's struggles in the male-dominated field of forestry prove time and again that it doesn't take much for a talented woman to be dismissed as "difficult." Her discoveries are now accepted science. Simard is candid about how her professional life created much stress on her family and her struggle with cancer it poignant.

    The last chapter of her book is beautiful and profound. Simard concludes "I have come full circle to stumble onto some of the indigenous ideals: Diversity matters. And everything in the universe is connected—between the forests and prairies, the land and the water, the sky and the soil, the spirits and the living, the people and all other creatures." Highly recommended.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024
    An dramatic, first person scientific discovery journey. Identifying what native Americans understood, but apply scientific principles to document and to start official policy to agree there is an interdependence among trees of different species. They support each other. The Mother Tree supports and feeds her large family of growing trees. A very surprising interdependence link is discovered at the last chapter.

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • LvO
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blown away by the resilience shown in this book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2024
    I loved this book. There were, I'll admit, parts of it where my eyes glazed over when they were talking about isotopes and labelling and carbon this and that, but Finding the Mother Tree is a book about the story of an amazing life dedicated to understanding her native trees in British Columbia. This book is the story behind the science, and I thought it was fantastic.

    A daughter of a logging family, Suzanne Simard was the first female logger for the company she started out in. She became interested in the health of the forest once trees had been logged and sprayed by chemicals such as Roundup, and brought her findings to conferences, hoping policy makers and bosses would listen, but they did not. In fact she was ridiculed, vilified and mocked.

    I am blown away by her resilience in the face of that mockery, and love how - like her trees - she surrounded herself with people she benefitted from, as they did from her. Her friends and family became her own mycorrhizal network, through days, weeks and months spent in the forest and one the road, time separated from her daughters and through a cancer diagnosis.

    Through it all she kept finding out more and more about the relationships between trees, when they feed each other, when they heal each other. She networked with other female scientists (and some male) across the world and they made discoveries that those of us who work in outdoor therapies now take for granted. I have been sharing this book far and wide because I feel indignant that so many books have been written based on her work, yet this is the first time I've ever heard her name.
  • Valny Giacomelli Sobrinho
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazon tree
    Reviewed in Brazil on June 7, 2021
    Entregue dentro do prazo e só então o valor a ser pago foi descontado
  • Sternfall
    5.0 out of 5 stars Forests are integral ecosystems and their dignity needs to be respected.
    Reviewed in Germany on May 23, 2023
    Beautiful and moving life story of an intelligent and warm-hearted women. Thanks to her great love of forests, her perseverence , and cleverly conducted experiments we have solid scientific evidence that clear-cutting and weeding are not only harming the integral ecosystem of forests and aggravating climate change, but that these practices are not even economically sound, as the "cash-crops trees" are vulnerable and tend to wither prematurely. Let's hope that governments around the world get the message and introduce regulations that enforce sensible forest-managing rules.
  • Gafsan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good!
    Reviewed in Sweden on May 6, 2022
    Good! Thank you!
  • C. R. Palma
    5.0 out of 5 stars As árvores é que nos salvam
    Reviewed in Spain on December 30, 2021
    O trabalho da investigadora Suzanne Simard é fundamental para melhorarmos o nosso entendimento do que é uma floresta e este livro acaba por nos trazer a história de vida dela ao mesmo tempo que nos descreve a evolução dos seus trabalhos de pesquisa. Por vezes é difícil acompanhar as descrições da autora (as espécies não são as nossas, os termos por vezes são técnicos) mas esta é uma história de amor. Vi há pouco tempo uma entrevista em que ela afirmava: "This is not about us saving the trees, it is about the trees saving us". É isso, mesmo...