The Book of Leaves: A Leaf-by-Leaf Guide to Six Hundred of the World's Great Trees, Allen J. Coombes
(Author), Zsolt Debreczy (Editor), University of Chicago
Book Description
0226139735 978-0226139739 November 1, 2010
Of all our childhood memories, few are quite as thrilling, or as tactile, as those of climbing trees. Scampering up the rough trunk, spying on the world from the cool green shelter of the canopy, lying on a limb and looking up through the leaves at the summer sun almost made it seem as if we were made for trees, and trees for us.Even in adulthood, trees retain their power, from the refreshing way their waves of green break the monotony of a cityscape to the way their autumn transformations take our breath away.
In this lavishly illustrated volume, the trees that have enriched our lives finally get their full due, through a focus on the humble leaves that serve, in a sense, as their public face. The Book of Leaves offers a visually stunning and scientifically engaging guide to six hundred of the most impressive and beautiful leaves from around the world. Each leaf is reproduced here at its actual size, in full color, and is accompanied by an explanation of the range, distribution, abundance, and habitat of the tree on which it’s found. Brief scientific and historical accounts of each tree and related species include fun-filled facts and anecdotes that broaden its portrait.
The Henry’s Maple, for instance, found inChina and named for an Irish doctor who collected leaves there, bears little initial resemblance to the statuesque maples of North America , from its diminutive stature to its unusual trifoliolate leaves. Or the Mediterranean Olive, which has been known to live for more than 1,500 years and whose short, narrow leaves only fall after two or three years, pushed out in stages by the emergence of younger leaves.
From the familiar friends of our backyards to the giants of deep woods, The Book of Leaves brings the forest to life—and to our living rooms—as never before.
In this lavishly illustrated volume, the trees that have enriched our lives finally get their full due, through a focus on the humble leaves that serve, in a sense, as their public face. The Book of Leaves offers a visually stunning and scientifically engaging guide to six hundred of the most impressive and beautiful leaves from around the world. Each leaf is reproduced here at its actual size, in full color, and is accompanied by an explanation of the range, distribution, abundance, and habitat of the tree on which it’s found. Brief scientific and historical accounts of each tree and related species include fun-filled facts and anecdotes that broaden its portrait.
The Henry’s Maple, for instance, found in
From the familiar friends of our backyards to the giants of deep woods, The Book of Leaves brings the forest to life—and to our living rooms—as never before.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Clearly, I have lost my head and am swooning under the spell of The Book of Leaves. This big, beautiful, shiny, sumptuous, and informational volume will enhance your appreciation of the natural world, but it does something else as well. It reminds you that wonderful things are often right under your nose. . . . It needs to be spread out on a kitchen table, preferably with a couple of kids hovering nearby, so that yuo can all marvel at the colors and shapes that have been here all along, hidden in plain sight."—Julia Keller, Chicago
(Julia Keller Chicago Tribune )
"Meticulously illustrated. . . . Coombes’s five-pound compendium . . . gets my vote for the book I’d be most likely to take on a hike in the woods, provided I had a pack animal.”—Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times
(Jennifer Schuessler New York Times )
“A handsome guide. . . . The oaks alone will occupy you for days.”—New York Times Book Review, Best Books of the Year
(New York Times Book Review )
"Meticulously illustrated. . . . Coombes’s five-pound compendium . . . gets my vote for the book I’d be most likely to take on a hike in the woods, provided I had a pack animal.”—Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times
(Jennifer Schuessler New York Times )
“A handsome guide. . . . The oaks alone will occupy you for days.”—New York Times Book Review, Best Books of the Year
(New York Times Book Review )
About the Author
Allen J. Coombes is botanist at the
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
"The Book of Leaves" is appealing to many readers, perhaps even more than Alan Coombs, the author and Zsolt Debreczy, his editor, even imagined. The book features leaves from 600 trees, one to a page. Each page presents a full-sized photograph of the leaf, a smaller photograph in the case of compound leaves, a short description of the tree and leaf, a world-map showing the origin of the tree, a sketch of the tree with an estimate of its size, a chart with relevant facts on the tree and a short paragraph describing the distintion between the subject leaf and similar leaves. This is a lot of information on one page but the pages are well designed and never look crowded or busy. The book includes a glossary of botanic terms, and a chapter explaining how to identify a tree by its leaf. There is an index of trees by common name and another index by Latin name. The trees are grouped by their botanic family, and listed alphabetically. The book includes only trees of the 'temperate' zone, which is most of North America .
Photographers will appreciate the quality of the pictures. Perfect specimens were photographed in a studio and the veins, serrations and details of the leaves are readily visible. Naturalists will appreciate the difficulties of collecting 600 perfect leaf samples from many places and keeping the leaves fresh until they were photographed. The author graciously thanks all who contributed to this phase of the project.
Students and professionals in botany, forestry and horticultural will appreciate the concise presentation of facts and the wonderful photographs. The general reader will find that the book is fun. Who would have ever guessed that there are so many maple trees? So many oak trees? Who does not want to know the name of the tree in their backyard, in the park, on the street? And, the tree may have been imported fromChina
"The Book of Leaves" not include cultivars, and, for the most part, other identifying characteristics such as buds, bark and stems. All of photographs were taken when the leaves were green so Fall colors have to be imagined. These omissions do not limit the usefulness of this well-designed, attractive book.
Photographers will appreciate the quality of the pictures. Perfect specimens were photographed in a studio and the veins, serrations and details of the leaves are readily visible. Naturalists will appreciate the difficulties of collecting 600 perfect leaf samples from many places and keeping the leaves fresh until they were photographed. The author graciously thanks all who contributed to this phase of the project.
Students and professionals in botany, forestry and horticultural will appreciate the concise presentation of facts and the wonderful photographs. The general reader will find that the book is fun. Who would have ever guessed that there are so many maple trees? So many oak trees? Who does not want to know the name of the tree in their backyard, in the park, on the street? And, the tree may have been imported from
"The Book of Leaves" not include cultivars, and, for the most part, other identifying characteristics such as buds, bark and stems. All of photographs were taken when the leaves were green so Fall colors have to be imagined. These omissions do not limit the usefulness of this well-designed, attractive book.
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