For me, this book only suffers by comparison with [b:The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World|28256439|The Hidden Life of Trees What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World|Peter Wohlleben|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464281905s/28256439.jpg|48295241], which (at the risk of hyperbole) was life-changing. But there's plenty to mull over here, presented in Wohlleben's enjoyable style. ( )

Scientists, Jane Goodall among them, have been criticized for anthropomorphizing animals. Forester and best-selling author Peter Wohlleben often draws criticism for anthropomorphizing trees.
Consider some of the phrases found in his 2019 book “The Secret Network of Nature”:

• "Trees agree among themselves over long distances."

• "Thirsty trees send out a warning over the wood wide web and advise all others."

• Beeches "love their families."

• Because of climate change, "trees have to escape north."

Wohlleben, author of the incredible “The Hidden Life of Trees” defends his language choices by asking, "But can a language stripped of emotion even be called a human language?" Read some scientific papers and you may be inclined to agree with him. Besides, he writes for the general public, not for scientists, and what he describes, however one says it, is what actually happens.

Trees really do somehow communicate with other trees, sometimes over hundreds of miles. Trees lacking sufficient water do somehow signal to other trees to moderate their water intake. Beeches, like some other trees, do support their own offspring by sending out roots to nourish them. Trees do migrate, as a species, to places where conditions are better, even though this may take centuries.

Wohlleben's book does not entirely focus on trees, although he keeps coming back to them. Ants raise aphids the way farmers raise cattle, he says. In a chapter called "Creatures in Your Coffee," he writes about just that — minuscule creatures that live in water pipes and eventually wind up in your food and beverages.

Mostly his topic is how all nature fits together and how human beings sometimes help, but more often hurt, the natural process. He explains why, for example, that the more trees left along bodies of water, the more fish there are likely to be in that water. Feeding deer during a harsh winter can actually cause more deer to starve to death.

Perhaps the most surprising thing he has to say he saves for the end: "The positive message from all this is that not only can we win back the original forests, but doing that could also steer the climate in the right direction. And to achieve this we don't even need to do anything. Just the opposite, in fact. We need to leave things alone — on as large a scale as possible."

Save the planet by doing nothing? What a concept. ( )

I have now read all 3 books in the series. I loved the first one (Hidden Life of Trees), was not as impressed with the second one (Inner Life of Animals), and really liked this one, but not al well as the first. He talked about the interconnection between trees, animals, fungi and people. There is much we do not know about this interconnection and since people are so self-oriented, will probably never be well known. I enjoyed this book. ( )

[Review revised Jun. 3, 2021 when I put it up on my website]

With all the hot buttons being pushed in scientific research papers, and distracting spin media, trying to sort out what is happening to our little blue canoe can be frustrating. There are, of course, major human proclivities we know of that need to be addressed if we are to stay afloat, but there is so much more that needs to be understood to maintain a biosphere that is conducive to human existence. There is no simple recipe because the extent of Nature's complexity is beyond our perception, not to mention that our thinking is influenced (by brain chemistry, hormones, sensory cues, prenatal environment, early experience, genes, both biological and cultural evolution, and ecological pressures, among other things) but there is much we can learn to ease our way.

What this book does is present an overview of detailed considerations to help guide us. It does this by offering up stories of known science together with observations, and where differing viewpoints beg questions it includes relative pros and cons. The supporting detail included is abbreviated out of necessity, but can be explored with further research. An example being where the author mentions the intricate dance of life in the seasonal rainforest on the west coast of Canada. He notes the large predators such as Grizzly Bears feasting on the salmon, and a dizzying array of scavengers. What he does not delve into are the fly larvae, feeding on what the larger predators leave in their gluttonous haste; banana slugs decomposing and distributing the waste and fungi; flying squirrels, fond of truffles, distributing fungi; and fungi and microorganisms finishing the decomposition to enrich the soil, renewing plant life of the seasonal rainforest (almost all life on Earth relies directly or indirectly on primary production). The balancing process here is an example of life being fueled by life in Earth's closed loop system. Looking at it from only the complexities of the food chains, with all the biodiversity of the seasonal rain forest involved, a fair bit of the balancing activity necessary to the continuity of all life is manifest.

My take of this book is that such interrelationships exist in and between all ecosystems and biomes, to sustain the continuity of life on Earth. Also, as life forms and habitats change, effects cascade through all with evolutionary balancing and niche filling adjustments. To get a simple mental handle on such, think about what would happen to our food supply if pollinators disappear.

This book is more of a call for increased wisdom than it is a condemnation of human activity, as any weedy life form that acquired sufficient capabilities would do the same given the natural order drives instilled in continuing life. We're but a liminal thread in Nature's fluid web-of-life, all sharing degrees of genes and basic inherent behavioral traits. All functional life forms share the basic natural order drive to not only survive but thrive and multiply. Our problem is that we are finding emerging hurdles ever more difficult, because the Earth is a closed system and we're struggling against natural processes we are but a part of. Make no mistake, Nature will hold sway regardless of our indifferent hubris. Paint a pretty picture in your mind to feel better if you will, but unless we learn to live in respectful coexistence with all Earth's life and resources that picture is pure fantasy.

Other books to read that bear on our ability to focus on and understand root issues are The Meaning of Human Existence by Edward O. Wilson, and Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. Sapolsky.

It is amazing how much we can broaden our horizons for the betterment of humankind through reading meaningful, informative books like this, which can help considerably in addressing our root problems. Simply focusing on downstream consequential issues of our proclivities to date is the long road few if any will survive — demonstrably we've made sluggish hit-and-miss progress so far, and we're already on the precipice of an environmental tipping point.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." ~ Albert Einstein ( )

The Secret Wisdom of Nature focuses on the relationships between the flora and fauna of nature, things like how some plants, insects, birds, or animals interact with other plants, insects, or animals to survive, thrive, and multiply. Many of the relationships are fascinating and this book is full of “I didn’t know that” and “Hmm, interesting” information. This is the third in a series of books that began with “The Secret Wisdom of Trees.”

Did you know trees affect the weather and change the rotation of the sun? Did you know they work in concert to react to threats and changes in their environment? Did you know the Brits love of feeding birds is changing the beak and wing shape of some birds? Did you know that for trees cannot “see” green so the daylight we see in the forest is dark for them? That is the kind of strange and surprising things you will learn reading this book.

The Secret Wisdomof Nature is fascinating and informative. It is also maddening at times. Wohlleben anthropomorphized far too much. He attributes intention to biochemical responses and biologically-programmed instincts and behaviors. His nature is full of emotion. Of course, animals experience emotion. Anyone who saw the daily stories of J35 mourning her dead calf and her fellow Southern Resident orcas helped keep her and her calf afloat for seventeen days cannot deny the grief and emotional depths of animals. Wohllenben goes further than that, though, too far for me, describing plants and animals as emotional beings.

I cringed sometimes when he described evolutionary processes, not necessarily because they were not happening but because he made them seem purposeful. His description of blackcap warbler evolution, for example, seems problematic. Some of them have taken to flying to England where people feed them rather than Spain where they eat berries and fruit, including olives. Natural selection has resulted in those with rounder wings and longer beaks doing better. But the way the author talks about it is far too intentional, not the random mutations turning out to be useful. There is an element of design in how he describes nature and that sets my teeth on edge.

He also seems humanity as something apart from nature. He addresses this directly, writing we became separate from nature when we began farming. This is increasingly rejected by scientists and it’s a good thing, helping to understand the interdependence of humanity with the rest of the world. Still, I think many people will enjoy the book for all the “did you know” moments and his easy writing style. I can see people who see the world as designed really liking it.

The Secret Wisdom of Nature will be published on March 5th. I received a copy for review from the publisher.

The Secret Wisdom of Nature at Greystone
Peter Wohlleben

ttps://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/01/29/the-secret-wisdom-of-nature-by-peter-wohlleben/ ( )