Laurence King Around the World in 80 Trees

Top-notch text and illustrations.

As anyone who has been in love knows, we may all be special, but for each of us there is a special kind of special. Around The World in 80 Trees offers that special kind of special. It can be felt in the love the author, Jonathan Drori, has for his subject and, for those who share his affection for trees, a special kind of special between the reader and fruits of Drori's droll writing.Spread out over 227 beautifully illustrated pages, Drori gives a brief historic and biological overview of each tree -- enough to pique curiosity and interest, but not enough to either incite boredom for those only casually interested in the subject, or provide in-depth detail for those looking for a deeper understanding of dendrology. For the latter, Drori helpfully provides a "Where to go next" reference section at the end, which I found to be an unexpected surprise.A quick comment on style. Anyone familiar with British comedy will recognize that culture's distinctly bemused tone in Drori's writing. From American authors this tone often comes across as forced, but from the delightfully British Drori it adds an element of levity and readability to a subject that might otherwise feel wooden, pun intended.Around The World in 80 Trees is definitely a niche book, and as such I suspect it will have a limited audience. But if you fall within that audience, it is a rare discovery and a uniquely satisfying treat -- a special kind of special.

One of the best books on Trees. Recommended for anyone with a small interest on botany.

This is a joy of a book! Every page is a visual feast with a fascinating narrative about each of the trees. It not only looks great but its really well written with engaging and informative text, historical information and even quirky details. As a non-gardener who has always been pretty uninterested in trees, I was really surprised how quickly I became totally immersed in the book and looked forward to reading about all the different trees from different parts of the world. The illustrations by Lucille Clerc really help and they are stunning. love this book so much, its basically going to be everyone's Christmas present this year!

Loved this book. For each tree he provides a brief description picking out distinctive characteristics and then fits it into a cultural, historical perspective. The illustrations are wonderful and closely follow the written description. Enjoyed this book so much that I have just ordered their new one on 80 plants around the world.