From Living Woods Issue 50

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TREES
Jonathan Drori
Laurence King Publishing
240 pages 80 illustrations
ISBN 978-1-78627-161-7

In this thoroughly engaging book – beautifully illustrated with pen-and-ink illustrations by French artist Lucille Clerc – Jonathan Drori makes a selection of 80 of the world’s 60,000 tree species, starting in the UK and moving roughly eastwards around the globe. He does not attempt to be comprehensive, but takes what appeals and surprises: how a species has adapted to its environment, the uses of its wood, myths and legends. Its slightly random approach is what gives the book sparkle and readability, with endless fascinating snippets – the bricks of Australian jarrah wood that were used to pave London streets; how gutta-percha “utterly changed the world” as an electrical insulator for telegraph cables, and much more.