This is a very readable discussion of trees and forests. Peter Wohllben clearly loves his subject and is able to approach it from a number of different angles. Along the way, I learned a great deal I didn't know about trees.

One of the things that makes this book so readable is its use of metaphor and anthropomorphism. Unfortunately, this is where the book also falls down. In one section, Wohllben talks about the growth strategies of different trees as following an "etiquette book" (those that grow straight have followed the book). This gives him something he can easily refer back to later in the book, but it also gives the impression that there is only one correct way for a tree to grow.

It's a shame because I felt I learned a lot from this book, but because of Wohllben's tendency to let his metaphors get away from him, I found myself doubting him each time I learned something new.