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between earth and sky — a review

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Between Earth and Sky: Our Intimate Connections to Trees
by Nalini M. Nadkarni
University of California Press, 2008.

How best to describe Between Earth and Sky: Our Intimate Connections to Trees? A compendium of facts, anecdotes, literature, and images pertaining to human interaction with trees? Tree canopy biologist, Nalini Nadkarni, has drawn on her intimate knowledge of forest biomes to assemble a collection of chapters dealing with everything from ‘Goods and Services’ (the functional tree), to ‘Spirituality and Religion’ (the sacred and mythological tree). The diversity of topics is both vast and fascinating – ethnobotany and the medicinal properties of trees; production of maple syrup, cork, timber and fragrances; trees as windbreaks and as the foundation for treehouses and other structures; and the cultural, sacred and spiritual significance of trees. All of these and much more.

Between Earth and Sky is what I think of as a pick-up-and-read book. Over the past few weeks, I found myself flipping to a chapter to read through text which rapidly moves from one related aspect to the another. Statistics and facts are interwoven with stories of an Inuit participant’s response to a tree canopy workshop, to a treatise on tree-climbing techniques. Interesting stuff.

If there’s one short-coming in this book, it’s that some of the topics could have been delved into a little more deeply — but that’s often the case when you’re covering a lot of ground. For those who wish to explore further, Nadkarni has provided extensive notes and an excellent list of recommended reading.

This is a book for lovers of trees.

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