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  • Finding the Mother Tree

  • Uncovering the Wisdom and Intelligence of the Forest
  • By: Suzanne Simard
  • Narrated by: Suzanne Simard
  • Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (183 ratings)

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Finding the Mother Tree

By: Suzanne Simard
Narrated by: Suzanne Simard
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

A dazzling scientific detective story from the ecologist who first discovered the hidden language of trees.

No one has done more to transform our understanding of trees than the world-renowned scientist Suzanne Simard. Now she shares the secrets of a lifetime spent uncovering startling truths about trees: their cooperation, healing capacity, memory, wisdom and sentience.

Raised in the forests of British Columbia, where her family has lived for generations, Professor Simard did not set out to be a scientist. She was working in the forest service when she first discovered how trees communicate underground through an immense web of fungi, at the centre of which lie the Mother Trees: the mysterious, powerful entities that nurture their kin and sustain the forest.

Though her ground-breaking findings were initially dismissed and even ridiculed, they are now firmly supported by the data. As her remarkable journey shows us, science is not a realm apart from ordinary life, but deeply connected with our humanity.

In Finding the Mother Tree, she reveals how the complex cycle of forest life - on which we rely for our existence - offers profound lessons about resilience and kinship and must be preserved before it's too late.

©2021 Suzanne Simard (P)2021 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about Finding the Mother Tree

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    4 out of 5 stars

Refreshing

I had no particular expectations when I chose this book, except that it ought to be a bit about trees. As a tree lover and a man comfortable with the outdoors, I was pleasantly surprised where it took me. I've been spending time expanding my understanding of life beneath the ground, and this fitted right in there, but delivered in a very accessible way. I must admit I couldn't follow the threads of complexity that were being described, (one of the problems with audio books when things start to get a little complicated; there is no "slow-down button") I think I got the general gist of it. More than that it was a pleasant and personal story interwoven with her passionate science. opening a window on a fascinating world between organisms, and it all takes place right under our feet without us even realising it. Thank heavens for people who can do this sort of science, and then write so entertainingly about it.

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Hope

Although often heartbreaking Suzanne's dedication must be honoured and valued. She brought scientific proof to what we know in our hearts.

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4 people found this helpful

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more connections revealed

Loved the mix of personal with the science and research. such a powerful book.

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Brilliant Moving Incredible Story

I Loved this book - so engaging, interesting, courageous and deeply moving - it was especially lovely to have Suzanne tell the story, and I feel she is a dear friend, the story and journey has become a part of my life and more so a companion for moving forward ❤️
Thank you Suzanne!!!!!!

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Thinking like this slowly changes the world

Our world is too individualistic. The ethos is of competition, survival of the fittest. Exploitation of natural resource. The results are a crisis in well-being as well as climate. Simard‘s book sketches a model for a new way of being in the world - using her scientific & instinctive discoveries around how a forest lives, grows and regenerates, by the trees, other plants and animals working together in ‘community’. This is a beautiful, personal, political and radical narrative. We all need to be thinking more like this to save both ourselves and the planet.

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5 people found this helpful

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A Fascinating Read

This book spells out a tragedy. It shows that clear felling for a cash crop followed by poisoning of the land to avoid competing trees and undergrowth not only was not based on any serious science but is damaging to the environment of the forest, the world, the food supply, the trees planted on the ground next and the whole worlds' atmosphere. And this is government policy!!!
Worse still, when it is proved beyond reasonable doubt and accepted by Nature the foremost Science Journal it is either attacked on spurious grounds, or ignored. So perhaps the world's most beautiful and rich forests are abused by people who have no interest in our, the world's and ultimately their own wellbeing. Is this insanity or is it insanity?

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I'd give this 6 stars if I could !

Brilliant! I listened to this audible version on every available appliance available until the end.

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A great education

The connections between the various trees and other vegetation are explained in simple way so not much technical jargon. Suzanne has had a pretty tough time trying to get the authorities to buy into the connection principles but won through to varying degrees in the end. An amazing journey.

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3 people found this helpful

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Astounding

A beautifully crafted and presented story of the importance of interconnections. It is truly astounding. Everyone should read it.

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Great Listen

Made even better by being read on the author's voice, well written, fascinating science, very listenable, and her forest work is endlessly interesting and promising.

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