Reviews
Finding the Mother Tree: Uncovering the Wisdom and Intelligence of the Forest by Suzanne Simard
benjobuks's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favorite memoirs by a scientist. Dives deep into the chaos of the experimental method, and the role of the author's (renowned forester Suzanne Simard) relationships and family history in informing her focus on relationships as the foundation of forest health. It's raw, it's beautiful, it flows, it held my attention and I have the greatest respect for this researcher who's work became groundbreaking, but only after the male establishment threw all its might into trying to break her.
My only qualm is technical: she ignores the importance of fungal agency in plant-fungal (mycorrhizal) relationships. For resources to move from "Mother Trees" to their kin, they have to move through fungi first. Fungi are active agents who make complex decisions to actively transport water, nutrients, etc... in ways that promote their own health. When trees send nutrients to each other, it's only because it also aligns with what benefits fungi. She seems to ignore this significant piece of the mycorrhizal equation, emphasizing the agency of trees above all else. this trend is present not just in this book, but in her TED talks, popular science articles and her academic research.
Outside of this informational issue, the book is wonderfully written and elegantly composed. Highly recommend, especially to those interested in conservation, alternative science, forests, and anything plant related.
My only qualm is technical: she ignores the importance of fungal agency in plant-fungal (mycorrhizal) relationships. For resources to move from "Mother Trees" to their kin, they have to move through fungi first. Fungi are active agents who make complex decisions to actively transport water, nutrients, etc... in ways that promote their own health. When trees send nutrients to each other, it's only because it also aligns with what benefits fungi. She seems to ignore this significant piece of the mycorrhizal equation, emphasizing the agency of trees above all else. this trend is present not just in this book, but in her TED talks, popular science articles and her academic research.
Outside of this informational issue, the book is wonderfully written and elegantly composed. Highly recommend, especially to those interested in conservation, alternative science, forests, and anything plant related.
themushroomalien's review against another edition
5.0
Ngl, this was a difficult read for me, because of all the scientific research data she goes over. I understood a lot of it thx to my obsession with trees and mushrooms, but it was still quite challenging. I definitely learned a lot!
That being said, I absolutely recommend that everyone read this book. It's gives hard, peer reviewed evidence that our forests are alive. The trees recognize and take care of their children.
The underground fungal network links the forest together so that all the plants can send nuritents and messages to each other. The "Wood Wide Web" if vou will.
This is knowledge that the Indigenous Peoples have know since the beginning of time. It is imerpative that we listen to them, and give them their land back NOW.
That being said, I absolutely recommend that everyone read this book. It's gives hard, peer reviewed evidence that our forests are alive. The trees recognize and take care of their children.
The underground fungal network links the forest together so that all the plants can send nuritents and messages to each other. The "Wood Wide Web" if vou will.
This is knowledge that the Indigenous Peoples have know since the beginning of time. It is imerpative that we listen to them, and give them their land back NOW.
spiffysarahruby's review against another edition
3.0
Equally parts fascinating and boring (at least as an audio-read). Give it a shot though.
language_loving_amateur's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Very pleasant. There is some of technical science talk, but it is always followed up with an analogy. There is both a lot of sadness, and a lot of hope in this story. I am glad that I saw the scientific community through her eyes. Now, I want to go find an old tree and sit under it for an hour, and then plant a seedling. I listened to this as an audio book (Thank you library). Suzanne Simard has such a soothing voice that sometimes it actually helped me get to sleep.
foxmeyer's review against another edition
5.0
Probably the best example of science communication I have ever had the pleasure to read.
At its core, this is a book about one researcher's quest to unlock the secrets of a lifelong fascination with trees. It's the story of a discovery that many young, hip, green people today take fully for granted: that trees rely on fungal nets for communication and sustenance.
But that story could have been exceptionally bland if it were told by anyone else.
The book dedicated significant time and space to the nuances of mycology and forestry, which (for non-scientists) may be a bit tough to get through. But Simard has avoided a mistake that so many scientists today are still making: thinking that their personal lives and feelings must be segregated from their research. Simard is able to show us all the being and feeling human enhances your research, rather than taint it.
The story of her discovery unfolds alongside the story of her life, and it's obvious when major events or developments for her personally influence the direction of her research. That background - so often shunned in STEM - actually makes the tricky bits MUCH easier to follow, because you can totally understand how and why she's curious about what she's curious about. You feel so much more invested in what's going on in her head once you understand how many times she's had run-ins with bears, brutish foresters and remarkable tragedy. It just feels so... human?
This book is a masterpiece. It is a clear signal to the next generation of researchers that if they want to be taken seriously, if they don't want to be seen in an ivory tower, if they want people to actually understand the data they're collecting, then they need to be more personal with their work. Save the austerity of spreadsheets and posters for professional conferences. When you're engaging with the public, use Simard's example, and tell it from the heart.
Oh, and while we're at it, it's chock-full of new terms and ideas. If you don't know anything about trees or fungi or forestry, you most certainly will by the end of the first few chapters. You almost forget how much you're learning because of how compelling the story is. And, in truly human fashion, it ends with a glimmer of hope.
At its core, this is a book about one researcher's quest to unlock the secrets of a lifelong fascination with trees. It's the story of a discovery that many young, hip, green people today take fully for granted: that trees rely on fungal nets for communication and sustenance.
But that story could have been exceptionally bland if it were told by anyone else.
The book dedicated significant time and space to the nuances of mycology and forestry, which (for non-scientists) may be a bit tough to get through. But Simard has avoided a mistake that so many scientists today are still making: thinking that their personal lives and feelings must be segregated from their research. Simard is able to show us all the being and feeling human enhances your research, rather than taint it.
The story of her discovery unfolds alongside the story of her life, and it's obvious when major events or developments for her personally influence the direction of her research. That background - so often shunned in STEM - actually makes the tricky bits MUCH easier to follow, because you can totally understand how and why she's curious about what she's curious about. You feel so much more invested in what's going on in her head once you understand how many times she's had run-ins with bears, brutish foresters and remarkable tragedy. It just feels so... human?
This book is a masterpiece. It is a clear signal to the next generation of researchers that if they want to be taken seriously, if they don't want to be seen in an ivory tower, if they want people to actually understand the data they're collecting, then they need to be more personal with their work. Save the austerity of spreadsheets and posters for professional conferences. When you're engaging with the public, use Simard's example, and tell it from the heart.
Oh, and while we're at it, it's chock-full of new terms and ideas. If you don't know anything about trees or fungi or forestry, you most certainly will by the end of the first few chapters. You almost forget how much you're learning because of how compelling the story is. And, in truly human fashion, it ends with a glimmer of hope.
abbydee's review against another edition
I read this out of a sense of duty. Every once in a while books appear that are so in my wheelhouse they cannot be ignored, and I feel obligated to read them, which of course makes me drag my feet about reading them, and I probably enjoy them less as a result. What I’m saying in a roundabout way is that I’m a scientist and a writer and I tend not to like science writing. I am sincerely interested in Suzanne Simard’s life and research, but I find everything writers do to make science more interesting to a general audience really boring. Like, “I continued walking through the woods…” Hate it. But let us review the things I loved, namely: 1) Suzanne Simard, devoted researcher, gifted communicator, teacher, thinker, mother, skier, cancer survivor, and general badass; 2) this “complexity science” of interspecies connection and communication, always totally fascinating and quite well explained. I found the last few chapters strongest. Simard finds the events of her life to parallel her research questions in both obvious and subtle ways, and I admire the book that subconsciously recognizes how a person’s personal experience might be reflected in the questions they choose to ask, the hypotheses they formulate.
princesspeaches's review against another edition
Not in the mood for memoir style. Just wanted the facts. So listened to test all instead
camoo3032's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
This book is an autobiography interdispersed with science. Although both were interesting, the way they were spread throughout the book disrupted the flow of it. You never knew what the next page would contain (personal life or method of an experiment)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Cancer
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Misogyny, War, Car accident, Child abuse, Pregnancy, and Grief