Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings

by Valerie Trouet

Overview

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 PrizeOne of Science News's "Favorite Books of 2020" A New York Times "New and Noteworthy" BookA 2020 Woodland Book of the YearGold Winner of the 2020 Foreword INDIES Award in Ecology & EnvironmentBronze 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 and volcanoes, and even the role of olives in the fall of Rome. These fascinating tales are deftly woven together to show us how dendrochronology sheds light on global climate dynamics and uncovers the clear links between humans and our leafy neighbors. Trouet delights us with her dedication to the tangible appeal of studying trees, a discipline that has taken her to austere and beautiful landscapes around the globe and has enabled scientists to solve long-pondered mysteries of Earth and its human inhabitants.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421443744
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	264
Sales rank:	193,398
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.63(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Valerie Trouet (TUCSON, AZ) is a professor in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona.

Table of Contents

1. Prologue
2. Trees in the desert
3. I count the rings down in Africa
4. Adonis, Methuselah, and Prometheus
5. And the tree was happy
6. The Messiah, The Plague, and Shipwrecks Under the City
7. The Hockey Stick Posterchild
8. Wind of Change
9. Winter is coming
10. Three tree-ring scientists walk into a bar
11. Ghosts, Orphans, and Extra terrestrials
12. Disintegration or The Fall of Rome
13. It's the end of the world as we know it
14. Once upon a time in the West
15. Will the wind ever remember?
16. After the Gold Rush
17. The Forest for the Trees
Playlist
List of Tree Species
Recommended Readings
Glossary
Bibliography

What People are Saying About This

Neil Pederson

A witty and engaging book that brings the story of tree rings to a wider audience.

Dagomar Degroot

As Valerie Trouet explains in this beautifully written book, one of the best ways to understand the magnitude of today's climate crisis is to burrow into the bark of old trees. Trouet eloquently guides readers through this exciting science, revealing not only how science is done but also how scientists think, how they respond to moments of inspiration and disappointment, and how their careers may unfold in surprising ways. This book is a timely love letter to a discipline and to the academic way of life.

Erika Wise

Beautifully captures the balance between science and engaging narrative. There are no similar books that tell the exciting story of dendrochronology.

Amy Hessl

Perfect for scientifically curious readers, Tree Story is a fascinating book about a field that has made major contributions to our understanding of past societies, as well as our current climate predicament.

Paul J. Krusic

Extolling the virtues of dendrochronology as a laudable tool for unlocking the secrets of natural and human history, this refreshing book will interest anyone who wants to understand the meaning of their existence, the miracle of life, and the beautiful ways in which our natural history has brought humans to our current state of civilization.

Sarah Boon

Trouet is at her best when recounting field experiences or telling stories about fortuitous discoveries in the lab. Readers worldwide who enjoy popular science and its links to human history will enjoy this book.

Henry F. Diaz

Trouet does a splendid job of elucidating the connections between dendrochronology (the precise dating of tree rings to the calendar year when they were formed) and advances in climatology, hydrology, archaeology, ecology, and history. A significant contribution and overview of dendro-science writ large. Engagingly written; the scholarship is highly commendable.

From the Publisher

Trouet is at her best when recounting field experiences or telling stories about fortuitous discoveries in the lab. Readers worldwide who enjoy popular science and its links to human history will enjoy this book.
—Sarah Boon, hydroecologist / science writer / editor, Watershed Moments

Extolling the virtues of dendrochronology as a laudable tool for unlocking the secrets of natural and human history, this refreshing book will interest anyone who wants to understand the meaning of their existence, the miracle of life, and the beautiful ways in which our natural history has brought humans to our current state of civilization.
—Paul J. Krusic, University of Cambridge

A witty and engaging book that brings the story of tree rings to a wider audience.
—Neil Pederson, Harvard Forest, Harvard University

Trouet does a splendid job of elucidating the connections between dendrochronology (the precise dating of tree rings to the calendar year when they were formed) and advances in climatology, hydrology, archaeology, ecology, and history. A significant contribution and overview of dendro-science writ large. Engagingly written; the scholarship is highly commendable.
—Henry F. Diaz, emeritus research meteorologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Beautifully captures the balance between science and engaging narrative. There are no similar books that tell the exciting story of dendrochronology.
—Erika Wise, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill

Perfect for scientifically curious readers, Tree Story is a fascinating book about a field that has made major contributions to our understanding of past societies, as well as our current climate predicament.
—Amy Hessl, West Virginia University

As Valerie Trouet explains in this beautifully written book, one of the best ways to understand the magnitude of today's climate crisis is to burrow into the bark of old trees. Trouet eloquently guides readers through this exciting science, revealing not only how science is done but also how scientists think, how they respond to moments of inspiration and disappointment, and how their careers may unfold in surprising ways. This book is a timely love letter to a discipline and to the academic way of life.
—Dagomar Degroot, Georgetown University / Climate History Network, author of The Frigid Golden Age: Climate Change, the Little Ice Age, and the Dutch Republic, 1560–1720

For anyone who has been intrigued by the growth rings in a tree stump, this book is for you. Dr. Trouet, a renowned scholar, weaves together science and adventure as she unlocks the many secrets hidden in the hearts of trees.
—Lisa J. Graumlich, Dean, College of the Environment, University of Washington

Lisa J. Graumlich

For anyone who has been intrigued by the growth rings in a tree stump, this book is for you. Dr. Trouet, a renowned scholar, weaves together science and adventure as she unlocks the many secrets hidden in the hearts of trees.

Editorial Reviews

Here, we are taken on a fascinating journey through history, as remembered by the trees of the world. Trouet weaves together stories from the field and the lab to demonstrate that there is far more to studying tree rings than counting them.

BBC Wildlife Magazine

In this primer, a dendrochronologist explains how tree rings reveal the past via a science that exists 'at the nexus of ecology, climatology and human history.'

New York Times (New & Noteworthy)

Tree Story is a sublime example of what booksellers have lately started calling smart non-fiction: sophisticated academic books for a broad audience (often published by American university presses) that are just a few notches above the yuck- or wow-factor of more generic popular science. The excellent clarity and pacing that Trouet brings to this fascinating topic meant I that tore through Tree Story in a day. If I added ratings to my reviews, this book would be a ten out of ten. Already, this is a very strong contender for my book of the year

Inquisitive Biologist

An accomplished and globally recognized dendroclimatologist, Trouet is knowledgeable across diverse fields of science and is a talented writer and engaging storyteller. Drawing from a diversity of tree-ring research and interdisciplinary collaborations, Trouet chronicles fascinating examples of how dendrochronology helps to answer questions about past environments and human history.

Science

Tree Story offers a passionate yet clear-eyed introduction into the field of dendrochronology.

Cincinnati Public Radio News

Tree Story is everything I had hoped it would be: intelligent, accessible, witty, and captivating—a global adventure spanning millennia and embracing a bevy of unexpected topics, all resulting from the study of tree rings.

Washington Independent Review of Books

The chapters spill over with information and would be overwhelming were it not for the book's organization, the images and digital illustrations, and the author's ability to share her scholarly adventures with such evident enjoyment.

Seattle Book Review

Valerie Trouet's book is an excellent starting point to explore the relationships between trees and people and to look at the expectations and disappointments on the way to developing a way to communicate not only about but also with trees.

Edge Effects

Trouet writes that the purpose of this book is to excite people about science, and she succeeds by creating an engaging, credible work sprinkled with anecdotes . . . With this brief, accessible look at the wisdom of tree rings, Trouet draws readers into a narrative that clearly displays her joy for her work and offers some fun with word play.
—Library Journal

An accomplished and globally recognized dendroclimatologist, Trouet is knowledgeable across diverse fields of science and is a talented writer and engaging storyteller. Drawing from a diversity of tree-ring research and interdisciplinary collaborations, Trouet chronicles fascinating examples of how dendrochronology helps to answer questions about past environments and human history.
—Science

If you enjoy great science reads, add this one to your list. Now.
—Nature's Cool Green Science

Tree Story is a sublime example of what booksellers have lately started calling smart non-fiction: sophisticated academic books for a broad audience (often published by American university presses) that are just a few notches above the yuck- or wow-factor of more generic popular science. The excellent clarity and pacing that Trouet brings to this fascinating topic meant I that tore through Tree Story in a day. If I added ratings to my reviews, this book would be a ten out of ten. Already, this is a very strong contender for my book of the year
—Inquisitive Biologist

A persuasive, entertaining explanation of how the codes contained in tree rings reveal the wide-ranging effects of climate change.
—Shelf Awareness

Tree Story gives readers a lively, sometimes visceral feel for Trouet's work.
—Science News

Tree Story is everything I had hoped it would be: intelligent, accessible, witty, and captivating—a global adventure spanning millennia and embracing a bevy of unexpected topics, all resulting from the study of tree rings.
—Washington Independent Review of Books

In her delightful Tree Story, dendrochronologist Valerie Trouet obliterates the layman's notion that tree rings provide little more information than a tree's age. What trees can teach seems limited only by science's ability to extract the information.
—Foreword Reviews

Part memoir, part field diary, part lucid and engaging science communication, Tree Story moves from the finest micron-level of individual tree rings to the deep geological time of the planet and the world-wrapping forces of its climate. Trouet's account of her career, far from what we might imagine to be the dull work of counting tree rings, reads like an exciting adventure story, complete with far-flung locales, the ridiculous macho pretensions of male coworkers, and the ever present thrum of the ancient magic that seems to emanate from the trees themselves.
—Lady Science

The chapters spill over with information and would be overwhelming were it not for the book's organization, the images and digital illustrations, and the author's ability to share her scholarly adventures with such evident enjoyment.
—Seattle Book Review

Enjoyable and accessible. Drawing on a rich array of examples from around the world, the lively book is full of thought-provoking discussion of our relationships with trees and the climate.
—Current World Archaeology

Tree Story is a work of science, of graphs and statistics. But Trouet recounts too the personal thrill of discovery, the camaraderie and competitiveness of academic science, and the arduous nature of her research.
—The Spectator

Tree Story offers a passionate yet clear-eyed introduction into the field of dendrochronology.
—Cincinnati Public Radio News

Tree Story is well-written, often with great phrasing and much humour, and gives a welcome insight into the people and personalities behind the science . . . [It's] another example of great science communication, often dealing with quite technical matters, but in an accessible way for both the non-specialist scientist and the intelligent lay person. But it's not just about great story-telling, Tree Story has much of pedagogic value as well, and would make a great text for a plants-and-people course.
—Botany One

Here, we are taken on a fascinating journey through history, as remembered by the trees of the world. Trouet weaves together stories from the field and the lab to demonstrate that there is far more to studying tree rings than counting them.
—BBC Wildlife Magazine

It's all in the tree rings—and trees don't lie.
—The Daily Express

The book has already been reviewed and recommended in many places, and highlighted as an excellent work of popular science. Here I would like to recommend the book to be used as a textbook for students being exposed to scientific ideas and methods, to arouse their curiosity and show them how diverse fields like natural science and human history interact.
—Tree-Ring Research

Valerie Trouet's book is an excellent starting point to explore the relationships between trees and people and to look at the expectations and disappointments on the way to developing a way to communicate not only about but also with trees.
—Edge Effects

If tree rings are the scribes of history, Valerie Trouet is their chief scrivener. Highly recommended.
—Plant Science Bulletin

[Tree Story's] geeky enthusiasm . . . makes the entire book such a pleasure to read.
—Rain Taxi Review of Books

Tree Story should be well-received by a variety of readers, professional and non-professional alike . . . The book is well-written and designed, with good pacing that intermixes entertaining and informative narrative in focused chapters that are not overlong.
—Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society

In this primer, a dendrochronologist explains how tree rings reveal the past via a science that exists 'at the nexus of ecology, climatology and human history.'
—New York Times (New & Noteworthy)

From the Publisher

Tree Story should be well-received by a variety of readers, professional and non-professional alike . . . The book is well-written and designed, with good pacing that intermixes entertaining and informative narrative in focused chapters that are not overlong.

Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society

[Tree Story's] geeky enthusiasm . . . makes the entire book such a pleasure to read.

Rain Taxi Review of Books

In her delightful Tree Story, dendrochronologist Valerie Trouet obliterates the layman's notion that tree rings provide little more information than a tree's age. What trees can teach seems limited only by science's ability to extract the information.

Foreword Reviews

If tree rings are the scribes of history, Valerie Trouet is their chief scrivener. Highly recommended.

Plant Science Bulletin

Tree Story is a work of science, of graphs and statistics. But Trouet recounts too the personal thrill of discovery, the camaraderie and competitiveness of academic science, and the arduous nature of her research.

The Spectator

Enjoyable and accessible. Drawing on a rich array of examples from around the world, the lively book is full of thought-provoking discussion of our relationships with trees and the climate.

Current World Archaeology

The book has already been reviewed and recommended in many places, and highlighted as an excellent work of popular science. Here I would like to recommend the book to be used as a textbook for students being exposed to scientific ideas and methods, to arouse their curiosity and show them how diverse fields like natural science and human history interact.

Tree-Ring Research

Tree Story gives readers a lively, sometimes visceral feel for Trouet's work.

Science News

A persuasive, entertaining explanation of how the codes contained in tree rings reveal the wide-ranging effects of climate change.

Shelf Awareness

Tree Story is well-written, often with great phrasing and much humour, and gives a welcome insight into the people and personalities behind the science . . . [It's] another example of great science communication, often dealing with quite technical matters, but in an accessible way for both the non-specialist scientist and the intelligent lay person. But it's not just about great story-telling, Tree Story has much of pedagogic value as well, and would make a great text for a plants-and-people course.

Botany One

Part memoir, part field diary, part lucid and engaging science communication, Tree Story moves from the finest micron-level of individual tree rings to the deep geological time of the planet and the world-wrapping forces of its climate. Trouet's account of her career, far from what we might imagine to be the dull work of counting tree rings, reads like an exciting adventure story, complete with far-flung locales, the ridiculous macho pretensions of male coworkers, and the ever present thrum of the ancient magic that seems to emanate from the trees themselves.

Lady Science

If you enjoy great science reads, add this one to your list. Now.

Nature's Cool Green Science

It's all in the tree rings—and trees don't lie.

The Daily Express

"If tree rings are the scribes of history, Valerie Trouet is their chief scrivener. Highly recommended."

Plant Science Bulletin - Lytton John Musselman

"Valerie Trouet's book is an excellent starting point to explore the relationships between trees and people and to look at the expectations and disappointments on the way to developing a way to communicate not only about but also with trees."

Edge Effects - Solvejg Nitzke

"April 2020 New and Noteworthy Book"

New York Times

"The book has already been reviewed and recommended in many places, and highlighted as an excellent work of popular science. Here I would like to recommend the book to be used as a textbook for students being exposed to scientific ideas and methods, to arouse their curiosity and show them how diverse fields like natural science and human history interact."

Tree-Ring Research - Katarina Cufar

"Tree Story is well-written, often with great phrasing and much humour, and gives a welcome insight into the people and personalities behind the science... Tree Story is another example of great science communication, often dealing with quite technical matters, but in an accessible way for both the non-specialist scientist and the intelligent lay person... But it's not just about great story-telling, Tree Story has much of pedagogic value as well, and would make a great text for a plants-and-people course."

Botany One - Nigel Chaffey

"Tree Story gives readers a lively, sometimes visceral feel for Trouet's work."

Science News - Carolyn Gramling

"Tree Story is a work of science, of graphs and statistics... But Trouet recounts too the personal thrill of discovery, the camaraderie and competitiveness of academic science, and the arduous nature of her research."

The Spectator - Philip Marsden

"An accomplished and globally recognized dendroclimatologist, Trouet is knowledgeable across diverse fields of science and is a talented writer and engaging storyteller... Drawing from a diversity of tree-ring research and interdisciplinary collaborations, Trouet chronicles fascinating examples of how dendrochronology helps to answer questions about past environments and human history."

Science - Lori Daniels

"In her delightful Tree Story, dendrochronologist Valerie Trouet obliterates the layman's notion that tree rings provide little more information than a tree's age... What trees can teach seems limited only by science's ability to extract the information."

Foreword Reviews - Matt Sutherland

"Valerie Trouet's Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings is everything I had hoped it would be: intelligent, accessible, witty, and captivating — a global adventure spanning millennia and embracing a bevy of unexpected topics, all resulting from the study of tree rings."

Washington Independent Review of Books - Jennifer Bort Yacovissi

"The chapters spill over with information and would be overwhelming were it not for the book's organization, the images and digital illustrations, and the author's ability to share her scholarly adventures with such evident enjoyment."

Seattle Book Review - Jane Manaster

"Here, we are taken on a fascinating journey through history, as remembered by the trees of the world. Trouet weaves together stories from the field and the lab to demonstrate that there is far more to studying tree rings than counting them."

BBC Wildlife Magazine - Dr. Emma Bush

"Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings, offers a passionate, yet clear-eyed introduction, into the field of dendrochronology."

Cincinnati Public Radio News - Roberta Schultz

"Part memoir, part field diary, part lucid and engaging science communication, Tree Story moves from the finest micron-level of individual tree rings to the deep geological time of the planet and the world-wrapping forces of its climate. Trouet's account of her career, far from what we might imagine to be the dull work of counting tree rings, reads like an exciting adventure story, complete with far-flung locales, the ridiculous macho pretensions of male coworkers, and the ever present thrum of the ancient magic that seems to emanate from the trees themselves."

Lady Science - Anna Reser

03/01/2020

Trouet (Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Univ. of Arizona) demonstrates how dendrochronology can be used to identify natural events and how that correlates with our human history. For example, a narrow tree ring indicates a dry year, explaining how something like a drought prompted a mass migration. Tree rings can also show how global warming is quickening. Yet, rather than lingering on the negative, Trouet celebrates the scientific processes and discoveries of her work and that of her colleagues, such as collaborative investigations of everything from stalagmites to sunken Spanish ships that pair with environmental events such as volcanic activity, hurricanes, snow droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, and forest fires. Trouet writes that the purpose of this book is to excite people about science, and she succeeds by creating an engaging, credible work sprinkled with anecdotes. VERDICT With this brief, accessible look at the wisdom of tree rings, Trouet draws readers into a narrative that clearly displays her joy for her work and offers some fun with word play. [For a fictional account about the significance of trees in our lives, see Michael Christie's novel Greenwood, reviewed on p. 81.—Ed.]—Elissa Cooper, Helen Plum Memorial Lib., Lombard, IL

Library Journal