Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings

The book "Tree Story" by Valerie Trouet explores how the study of tree rings has contributed to our understanding of Earth's climate history and its influences on human civilization over the past 2,000 years. Trouet, a leading tree-ring scientist, takes readers on a journey through the field of dendrochronology, offering insights into how tree cores are collected and dated with ring-by-ring precision. The book highlights exciting findings of tree-ring research, such as the fate of lost pirate treasure, successful strategies for surviving California wildfires, and the connection between Egyptian pharaohs and volcanoes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 28 June 2022
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

What if the stories of trees and people are more closely linked than we ever imagined?

Winner of the World Wildlife Fund's 2020 Jan Wolkers Prize
One of Science News's Favorite Books of 2020
A New York Times New and Noteworthy Book
A 2020 Woodland Book of the Year
Gold Winner of the 2020 Foreword INDIES Award in Ecology & Environment
Bronze Winner of the 2021 Independent Publisher Book Award in Environment/Ecology

People across the world know that to tell how old a tree is, you count its rings. Few people, however, know that research into tree rings has also made amazing contributions to our understanding of Earth's climate history and its influences on human civilization over the past 2,000 years. In her captivating book, Tree Story, Valerie Trouet reveals how the seemingly simple and relatively familiar concept of counting tree rings has inspired far-reaching scientific breakthroughs that illuminate the complex interactions between nature and people.

Trouet, a leading tree-ring scientist, takes us out into the field, from remote African villages to radioactive Russian forests, offering readers an insider's look at tree-ring research, a discipline known as dendrochronology. Tracing her own professional journey while exploring dendrochronology's history and applications, Trouet describes the basics of how tell-tale tree cores are collected and dated with ring-by-ring precision, explaining the unexpected and momentous insights we've gained from the resulting samples.

Blending popular science, travelogue, and cultural history, Tree Story highlights exciting findings of tree-ring research, including the fate of lost pirate treasure, successful strategies for surviving California wildfire, the secret to Genghis Khan's victories, the connection between Egyptian pharaohs.

Weight: 384g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421443744