I am delighted to share my review today for Hacked by Dr Jessica Barker. I was intrigued when I saw this one and for someone who doesn’t really understand technology that much, I found it interesting.
My huge thanks to the publisher Kogan Page for accepting my request to read this title via NetGalley.
When it comes to cyber attacks, everyone’s a potential victim. But you don’t have to be helpless against these threats.
Hacked offers the knowledge and strategies you need to protect yourself and your business. In this book, cybersecurity expert Jessica Barker uncovers how hackers are weaponizing cutting-edge tactics and technologies to target individuals and organizations, before showing how you can safeguard yourself against any potential attacks and how to react if you do become a target.
Featuring expert commentary from world-leading cybersecurity experts and ethical hackers, this book uncovers the fascinating stories of the most insidious and notorious cyber attacks, including how the Mirai malware almost took down the internet and how a supply chain attack infiltrated the US government and other global institutions.
From social engineering and data theft to ransomware and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, there are numerous strategies that hackers use to target our finances and data. Uncover their secrets and learn how to safeguard your data with Hacked.
MY REVIEW
I am the first to admit I don’t know a huge amount about computers or how they can be used for hacking. When I saw this book I decided to give it a go and see if I could increase my knowledge so that I could understand more. I am aware of having strong passwords, not opening links in emails, if something is too good to be true then it is, and never giving details of PINs. As I said all very basic.
THis book was ideal for me as it gave the information and the facts in a basic way. I wasn’t left scratching my head and wondering what this was all about and feeling lost. The author gives the facts in a way that makes sense. So, yes, this is definitely aimed at the lower end of the tech-head ladder.
The author takes the reader through various things such as phishing, trojans, ransomware, worms, malware, cyber-attacks and a lot more. When she started to give numbers that were in the billions of dollars and how large companies could be held to ransom it was shocking.
From the very first bug to the latest attacks, the author explains the most significant ones and tells how criminals were able to get into systems. With the emergence of Bitcoin, this is a way of keeping things hidden.
The author has a great way of explaining her findings and the data citing various papers and articles all the way. This was an an eye-opener for sure and one that I also actually, really enjoyed reading.
If you have an interest in technology and how it can be misused and you don’t really have a tech background or understanding then this is one you may find useful I certainly did. Interesting and quite addictive, one I would happily recommend.
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I am delighted to share my review today of A Short History of FLowers by Advolly Richmond. This is a stunning book and a proper little treasure trove of interesting stories.
I received a copy of this via the Amazon Vine program and my review is my own.
Garden and social historian Advolly Richmond (of Gardener’s World ) unravels the surprising histories of 60 flowers that shape our gardens.
Have you ever wondered where your favourite garden flowers came from? Where their names derived? Or why some cultivars go in and out of favor? Every flower in your herbaceous border has a story, and in this book Advolly Richmond takes you on a tour of the most intriguing, surprising and enriching ones.
Tales of exploration, everlasting love and bravery bring these beautiful flowers to life. Advolly has dug down to uncover the royalty, scholars, pioneers and a smuggler or two that have all played a part in discovering and cultivating some of our favourite species. From the lavish and exotic bougainvillea, found by an 18th century female botanist in disguise to the humble but majestic snowdrop casting a spell and causing a frenzy. These plants have played pivotal roles in our societies, from boom to bust economies, promises of riches, and making fashion statements. These unassuming blooms hold treasure troves of stories.
With specially commissioned artworks from award-winning botanical illustrator Sarah Jane Humphrey, which sumptuously bring each flower to life – this is a beautiful compendium for every garden lover.
MY REVIEW
This is an absolutely gorgeous book about flowers, their origins and how some of them became a staple plant in our gardens. I love my garden and there are some plants I remember from my childhood that my Mum would grow and others that would only be seen in specialist gardens. Now, plants are more accessible and there is even more choice and variety with hybrids and new designs.
The author is a well-known face on the TV show Gardeners World and she has chosen some of the ones that have a story behind them, it could be a love story or a lonely expedition, but it is a story of how they became a favourite in our gardens.
This is a gorgeous book and one that has stunning illustrations of the flowers, the illustrations are the sort you would find in older horticultural books rather than the showy photographs that we now have. There are also black line illustrations scattered throughout that correspond to a story or tell about a naturalist.
I adore this book and it is one you can sit and read cover to cover, or just flick through. It is a treasure trove of facts, stories and trivia and is one for fans of horticulture, gardening and flowers. It is one I would definitely recommend.
I am delighted to share my review today of Talking with Psychopaths
My huge thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my copy of this book from the publishers – Bonnier Books.
LOOK AROUND YOU, BECAUSE THE PERSON SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU COULD BE A COLD, HEARTLESS MURDERER.
In Talking With Psychopaths and Savages, bestselling author and criminologist Christopher Berry-Dee takes readers deep inside the dark minds of some of the most pitiless and dangerous people alive. Having spent years interviewing imprisoned criminals – including notorious serial killers – he discovered that the lack of remorse these people showed was in many ways even more terrifying than the crimes they had committed.
Yet in the course of these conversations, the author also had the chance to interview his subjects’ psychiatrists and, in doing so, uncovered a terrible truth: a monster can be hidden behind a friendly face. Some of these experts, he found, proved to have more in common with their patients than he would ever have expected.
This book examines horrific crimes committed by some of the most remorseless and merciless people ever to have lived, revealing a mindset wholly alien to most people.
Talking with Psychopaths and Savages will inevitably shift the reader’s view of those capable of the most heinous murders, and in doing so reveals that horror can be much closer to us than we think.
A noted writer and criminologist of many years’ standing, Christopher Berry-Dee is also the author of the bestselling Talking to Serial Killers.
MY REVIEW
This is the 2nd book I have read by this author and he makes his books very easy to read. Not full of jargon, but instead more of a layperson’s view. The opinions in this book are the author’s own and he does make this very clear at the end.
This book looks at serial killers and what makes them tick. It is not a comprehensive look into each of those he has chosen to include, but a snapshot of their mindset and how they express themselves when asked for their account of the crimes they committed. The author has been in contact with serial killers in person and also through other forms of correspondence, he has also interviewed family members.
The author shares his findings and thoughts, he often refers back to earlier sections or forward to future sections. It may sound a little disjointed but it did actually help to highlight a key point he was trying to make. He does reference some of his other books as well.
This is an interesting book and one for those who maybe want to start reading about true crime as it does give several killers to look at. For me it is interesting from a morbid curiosity stance, wanting to know a little bit more about them how they could conceive of getting away with what they did and how they validated their crimes.
If you are looking for a more reference or researched book then this is not the one for you, although it is still good reading.
Interesting for true crime, and non-fiction readers and one I would be happy to recommend.
About the Author…
Chris was a former Royal Marine intelligence officer. He is now a criminologist who has interviewed over 30 serial killers.
Check out the other stops on the Tour…
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I am delighted to share my review today of Talking with Psychopaths by Christopher Berry-Dee. This is the first time I have read a book by this author but I am glad to see that there are more for me to read.
My huge thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for arranging my copy of the book from the publisher Bonnier Books.
The plea of insanity in criminal cases can be traced back at least to the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, which dates from 1755-1759 BC. It is a complicated defence, and its origins in modern law lie with what are called the ‘M’Naghten Rules’ of 1843, formulated by British judges as a jury instruction in cases where a plea of insanity had been entered. Daniel M’Naghten shot and killed one Edward Drummond, believing him to be the British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, and was acquitted on the grounds of insanity, and the M’Naghten Rules still exert considerable influence over defences today. Clearly, a plea of insanity in murder cases is of critical importance when the death penalty is still applied, and even today it may still be the difference between a life sentence in a high-security prison, or an indeterminate one in a secure psychiatric hospital. Meanwhile, 27 of the USA’s 50 states have retained or readopted the death penalty, and at least 54 other countries, including China, Russia, India, Iran and Saudi Arabia, also retain it. Naturally, a criminal who was liable to swing for murder could, and sometimes did, make every attempt to appear insane, and this book examines some of these cases, as well as trials in which the accused was indeed judged to be insane. The failure rate is high; of seven American serial killers who deployed the defence in their trials, only two were successful, ending their days in secure psychiatric facilities; two were executed, and the other three either died or were killed while serving full-life sentences, or are still in gaol.
MT REVIEW
I like to read books about true crime, especially ones that look at cases from the past and how treatments were performed. The author has brought all these things together to look at cases from the past and also some of the more recent ones. American serial killers are most often represented on streaming shows and there is also a good amount from other countries as well.
I think there is an interest in how people’s minds work, especially those of serial killers, a morbid curiosity if you like. So this book looks at cases, treatments and how the plea of insanity is used in defense. Sometimes it works and at others, it does not, the author does ask at the end of each chapter if you think the killer is mad, insane or just evil.
The author has quite a laid-back way of presenting his findings, the cases, the treatments and also how the trials went with the outcomes. At times he has quite a jovial manner and this is actually quite refreshing and it does lighten the mood of what could be an intense subject. This does not mean he is joking about the crimes or the impacts though. He does not rely on the heavy use of jargon which again is good as it means the book keeps the readers’ interest as it is not to science or education.
This is the first book I have read by this author but I am aware of him writing others, these are referred to several times during the book. Others are also referred to and one of these I have read.
This is a well-laid-out book, it is the author’s opinions and he does have a good background to be able to make the observations he does. He has a background as an Intelligence Officer and has interviewed many serial killers. This is an author who would definitely make an interesting conversationalist as a dinner guest!
I liked this book a lot and I will be looking at reading more of his books.
This is a book that will interest those who have a, yes I am going to use the phrase again, ‘morbid fascination’ with serial killers, insanity pleas, and want a more relaxed approach rather than a technical or jargon-laden book. It is one I would definitely recommend.
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I am delighted to share my review today for a fabulous book, The Power of Ancient Wellness by Gill Thackray is full of tips, advice, suggestions and recipes to aid in calming our busy minds. This book is due for publication on 28th December 2023 and can be pre-ordered HERE
My huge thanks to Alison Menzies for arranging my copy of the book from the publisher Michael O’Mara.
Do you want to reduce stress, ease burnout, boost your energy and immunity but don’t know where to start? Look no further than the power of ancient wellness.
The ancient world moved to a different rhythm. It was slower, more mindful and closely attuned to nature. The result? A harmonious connection between mind, body and spirit. Together with Gill Thackray, mindfulness teacher, coach and performance psychologist, learn the art of ancient healing: the perfect remedy for modern living.
Featuring over 25 nature-based activities, discover how to improve your sleep, boost your energy and treat everything from anxiety to the common cold and much more. Explaining the science behind what our ancestors knew intuitively, this essential companion will help you to create your own holistic toolkit to optimize your health and wellbeing, as well as overhaul your beauty regime.
Clear your mind with age-old breathwork techniques, restore balance in your body with the life-changing principles of Ayurveda and re-energise your soul with Reiki and more. From traditional tinctures to ancient superfoods, your healing journey starts now. Reconnect with the hidden secrets of our natural world and take care of yourself, the ancient way.
MY REVIEW
whether you believe in the power of therapy or holistic approaches to taking care of yourself or not, well it does not matter. But I do believe that in our chaotic world, we all need time to stop. I have mentioned this before with other meditation books I have read. Our heads are too busy and we forget to stop and just silence the business.
This book is a great read and it is full of tips, advice, activities and also these are backed up with some studies so you can see why they work and what the benefits are to yourself.
This book is 128 pages and it is broken down into three sections Mind, Body and Spirit. There is also an introduction explaining why our ancestors had a different pace of life due to their lifestyles being much slower. This is obvious, but there are things we can do to help slow our lives during the day.
There are simple things that can be done to help you connect with nature, taking off your shoes and walking barefoot in the grass or on a beach. Looking and listening to the surrounding area is a way of focusing beyond ourselves and instead on what is around us. There are meditation techniques, and while I know some will scoff at this, but, it is actually really helpful. Closing your eyes taking a deep breath focusing on your breathing and relaxing your shoulders, back, muscles and body is something so simple but it can give a wonderful sense of calm.
The message in this book is that we are always connected to some electronic device, not just smartphones and computers but now we have smartwatches that can notify you of messages and take phone calls. I have one of these devices and I made a conscious decision that I was going to use it as a device for my health and not as another way of me being contacted. I put my phone on silent at night and have the screen face down so that notifications don’t light the screen up. Simple things that allow me to focus on my own time and not be at the beck and call of others.
This book is a good way to make you realise how we have lost the connection to nature and ourselves, gives us ways to make time for ourselves and gives positive advice, tips and help. There is quite a lot in this book and there are recipes for balms and tinctures. I do use essential oils to help me relax.
This is a fabulous book and whether you partake in all or some of the things within it, there will be something that appeals to you or makes sense. A fabulous book that is not at all preachy or tells you that you must do so and so, but suggests and gives some ideas and inspiration.
This is a book for those who want to slow down their heads, to be calmer and less connected to technology and the busy bustling world around them. It is a book that I have found to be extremely useful and it is one I would definitely recommend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gill Thackray is an author and ghostwriter. As well as writing over 8 books including “The Mindfulness Coach” “How to Manifest. Bring Your Goals into Alignment with the Alchemy of the Universe” and “The Positivity Coach” her work has been featured in several international media outlets including The Guardian, Success Magazine, Woman and Home and Glamour Magazine. Her books have been translated into several languages and she has been interviewed by international broadcasters on her areas of expertise.
Her next books,“The Power of Ancient Wellness: Traditional Remedies and Activities for Modern Living” will be published by Michael O’Mara Books London in December 2023. ‘The Wellbeing Journal. Mind, Body, Spirit” will be published May 2024
Gill is a PhD researcher, member of the British Neuroscience Association, British Psychological Society and Association of Business Pychologists. She has taught and lectured at several academic institutions, retreats and cultural centres around the world.
(Information taken from Amazon Author Bio)
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I am delighted to share my review today for Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon. This was a fascinating book that tells how we have evolved over the millennia to the form we see today.
My huge thanks to Penguin Random House for approving my request to read this title via NetGalley.
ONE OF THE GUARDIAN’S BIGGEST BOOKS OF AUTUMN 2023
‘Funny and very important’ Chris van Tulleken, bestselling author of Ultra-Processed People
‘Educates and emboldens’ Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
‘Should revolutionise our understanding of human life’ George Monbiot, bestselling author of Regenesis
How did wet nurses drive civilization? Are women always the weaker sex? Is sexism useful for evolution? And are our bodies at war with our babies?
In Eve, Cat Bohannon answers questions scientists should have been addressing for decades. With boundless curiosity and sharp wit, she covers the past 200 million years to explain the specific science behind the development of the female sex. Eve is not only a sweeping revision of human history, it’s an urgent and necessary corrective for a world that has focused primarily on the male body for far too long. Bohannon’s findings, including everything from the way C-sections in the industrialized world are rearranging women’s pelvic shape to the surprising similarities between pus and breast milk, will completely change what you think you know about evolution and why Homo sapiens have become such a successful and dominant species, from tool use to city building to the development of language.
MY REVIEW
I was intrigued when |I first saw this book and I was so glad I saw it as it was an amazing book to read. It is a non-fiction book but it is not dull and dreary, but instead, at times, humorous as the author takes the reader on a journey of the female body and how it has helped to shape the world.
I was already pretty hooked before I got to the first chapter after reading the introduction gave some great insight into the book and what was to potentially follow. If I had not read that, well the first chapter would have hooked me as I found out that medicines, trials and medical tests are conducted on males rather than females because it is easier. So if that is the case why are medicines made for the male sex and then used for everyone? Surely this makes medication generic rather than specific! With my mind blown at this point, I did have a quick look at the author. She is a researcher and author with a Ph.D. from Columbia University in the evolution of narrative and cognition.
The author brings so much more than science, biology and all that to this book. It has been done in such a way that it is like she is telling you what she has observed over time and how her research has brought her to her opinions in the book. When I say research, there have been many years of it, I think I read 10 years’ worth to produce this book. I have to say it shows because there are so many aspects that are covered that led from the first burrowing egg mammal to the form we see today as Humans. The author does focus on the female body, but she is actually telling the story of how homo sapiens have evolved over the millennia.
This is a fascinating book, addictive and really makes you think about your body and why things are as they are. If you like non-fiction that focuses on evolution, physiology, biology, anthropology and lots of other aspects then this is one for you. I thought it was very accessible as far as reading and understanding it went. Not too heavy on science. One I would definitely recommend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cat Bohannon is a researcher and author with a PhD from Columbia University in the evolution of narrative and cognition. Her essays and poems have appeared in Scientific American, Mind, Science Magazine, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, The Georgia Review, The Story Collider and Poets Against the War. She lives in the US with her partner and two offspring.
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I am delighted to be one of the Book Bloggers opening the Blog Tour today and share my review for Everyday Folklore by Liza Frank. This is a fabulous almanac that takes you through rituals, customs, traditions and much more from sources all around the world. I read this one on Kindle but have bought a copy as I enjoyed it so much.
My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my copy of this book from the publisher Murdoch Books UK.
For the curious and the adventurous! Turn to any date and you’ll find something to learn or do suggested by folklore of the day, the month, or the season.
Some suggestions will take no more effort than sticking your head out the window to look at the clouds, while others might involve knee pads and scouring giant chalk horses cut into hillsides. Taking inspiration from folklore found around the world, each daily entry is a tiny snapshot of what goes on – be it animal or plant lore, love predictions, the zodiac, the supernatural, food, festivals, divination, anniversaries, the weather or luck. By following the customs and traditions of the ritual year, you’ll find yourself becoming more engaged with what’s happening about you and discover how every month and season creates its own identity.
Dip into this fascinating book at any time of the year and discover something new and intriguing about the world around you. Just beware of the hare…
MY REVIEW
I read the Kindle version of this book and it was a wealth of information. A mix of folklore from around the world, traditions, customs and some right oddities. The book has some wonderful illustrations and prints adding to the overall charm of this almanac.
It includes so many different things that seem bizarre and quirky but also things that will have been passed down by older generations, the things we refer to as “old wives tales”, but as we know some of these do have usefulness to them.
Working through this book day by day and month by month you can if you so wish, try some of the activities or follow some of the suggestions. I do think I will be more inclined to try some of the planting advice rather than maybe trying fire jumping though!
If you are interested in how many sneezes you have and what this means on whatever day you happen to sneeze. How about joining in a tomato food fight, (which sounds like great fun)? Would you like to know when Nettle Day is, or Dotterel Day is?
The book brings together lore from around the world and this means you get a plethora of information and it makes you realise that customs and traditions are still practised based on lunar phases, star signs, weather lore, plant lore and also magical, supernatural and mystical dates. If you think this is all about things from the past, then you would be mistaken as the author has brought her research up to date with mentions of Twitter and one of my favourite days, Star Wars Day!
this is a fabulous book and it is one that you could try to dip in and out of but you will soon find yourself engrossed in it.
I would definitely recommend this book for those who like almanacs that are well-researched, full of information and unusual things.
Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…
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I am delighted to share my review today for Blue Machine by Helen Czerski, this book is a non-fiction one and looks at how the oceans shape our world. I initially got this book from NetGalley, but then decided to buy a hardback copy and I am so glad I did because it is an excellent book to read.
All of Earth’s ocean, from the equator to the poles, is a single engine powered by sunlight – a blue machine.
Human history has been dictated by the ocean; the location of cities, access to resources, and the gateway to new lands have all revolved around water. We live inside the weather the ocean generates and breathe in what it breathes out. Yet despite our dependence, our awareness of its totality is minimal.
In a book that will re-calibrate our view of this defining feature of our planet, physicist Helen Czerski dives deep to illuminate the murky depths of the ocean engine, examining the messengers, passengers and voyagers that live in it, travel over it, and survive because of it. From the Ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves, to permanent residents of the deep like the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she explains by way of vast currents, invisible ocean walls and underwater waterfalls how all have their place in the oceans’ complex interlinked system.
MY REVIEW
This is a fascinating book about the ocean and how it shapes our world, how it impacts our lives and how it helps us today. The author does include science in this book, but it is explained in a way that is completely understandable to a non-science-brained person.
The author includes huge amounts of information from the way the ocean moves, to the different depths and strata, she mentions how people have learnt to navigate and how humans have impacted it. We live in a world where climate change is often mentioned. I always think about climate change affecting the air quality, temperatures, rainfall and storms. The ocean is also affected by climate change and this is becoming more and more obvious as great swathes of ice are melting, we are experiencing more run-offs into the rivers and oceans and we are interfering with the delicate balance. The author brings all these elements and so much more to her book and it was a fabulous book to read and one that thoroughly enjoyed.
I live in Cornwall, UK. It is an area of land that sticks out at the S.W. point of the mainland, surrounded on 3 sides by the sea. Our weather is, in part, affected by what happens out at sea and we do experience seasonal high tides, and weather coming in of the sea and we do benefit from the Gulf Stream.
Reading this book has made me realise just how much the oceans do to keep our planet at the right temperature for life to exist and function. The author also uses historical facts to reinforce events and to back up what she has discovered through her own research, she is, after all a physicist and is seen on BBC in a science section. So yes, she does know her stuff, what I liked about this book was that she used her own knowledge and that of others from around the world, it gives a deeper understanding as you do get different perspectives. It brings other cultures and their history to the table and gives the reader the chance to see the differences between then and now.
The book is broken down into 3 parts, with 7 sub-sections. The first part is about “What is the Blue Machine”, the author tells the reader why she refers to the ocean as a machine, and to be honest when you think about it, it does make sense. This section deals with the nature of the sea, the shape of water and the anatomy of the ocean. Part 2 is “Travelling the Blue Machine” This looks at life in the oceans and on the oceans and has 3 sections covering, messengers, passengers and voyagers. This was my favourite section as it got into the details of life in the oceans. The final part, Part 3 is ” The Blue Machine and Us” This is the 1 section and it is about what we can do or should be doing.
Obviously, this book highlights the impact that humans have had on the oceans and how they are deteriorating. It is an eye-opening book and one that does give pause for thought. So it is no surprise that there is a final section in this book that also deals with what we can do.
This is a fascinating book and one that I read in chunks over several days. I thought this book was so well laid out and explained and I definitely closed the book at the end knowing I knew more now than I did before. The explanations made sense and this is what I really liked about it.
If you have an interest in the natural world, the climate and oceans then this is a book I would definitely recommend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Helen Czerski is a physicist at University College London’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and a science presenter for BBC. She writes a monthly column for BBC Focus magazine called “Everyday Science” that was shortlisted for a Professional Publishers Association Award.
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I am delighted to share my review today for Human Being: 12 Vital Skills We’re Losing to Technology and How to Reclaim Them by Graham Lee. This is an interesting and very thought-provoking book about how we have lost the level of skill we had in the past compared to those we have today.
My huge thanks to Alison at Michael O’Mara Books for arranging my copy of this book. My review is unbiased and my own.
Our increasing reliance on digital technology has had a profound impact on our own skills. What can we do about it?
As rapidly advancing technology embeds itself ever deeper within our lives, we rely less and less on our own abilities as humans. The impact on our skills and self-reliance has been immense, and, because the transition has happened so swiftly and quietly, none of us have been taught how to mitigate the effects of our ever-increasing dependence on algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Based on years of research by author Graham Lee, a digital skills educator with experience training tens of thousands of professionals, Human Being is an insightful and provocative survey of twelve vital skills we used to call upon as a species, including navigation, conversation, memory and sleep, and how in a vanishingly short space of time we have embraced ways to undermine them.
In a journey through history and science, Human Being delves into a period or personality when each capability was at its peak, and contrasts this with skill levels today – showing not just how contemporary technology has chipped away at these abilities but also providing clear, achievable guidance on how to mitigate these losses.
MY REVIEW
When I started to read this book I did wonder if it would be very science or terminology-based, but actually, it isn’t at all. This book looks at 12 aspects of our lives and the skills we have, then looks at what is happening to them. It is something that some may not even be aware of but it is happening.
For me, growing up I could tell you different phone numbers, with the area codes and not really think twice about it, now… well I might remember a few and even those I am not always confident that I have them right. Why is this? Technology has replaced the way we get phone numbers because they are often saved into phones, databases or other devices. We hit a button to call the person and don’t actually dial a number anymore. It is a simple thing, but the author has explored this and many other skills that are diminishing as technology increases. We are becoming more reliant on it. If we cannot access the internet, our phones or computers then how do we get in touch with people we want to talk to?
The author has used the following as examples of skills that have lessened over the years and generations – Navigation, Motion, Conversation, Solitude, Reading, Writing, Art, Craft, Memory, Dreams, Thought and Time.
Each one is an in-depth look at how others in the past honed their skills and when we look at our abilities they are definitely inferior to those from history. The author takes a person/ people and shows how they excelled at each one of these lost skills. It is very humbling to read about these people and it is also shocking to realise that each one of us has become reliant on technology.
As much as this book is about things we have lost, it also tells of some remarkable people in history who have been at their best. So if you do have an interest in history then have a look at this book.
It does tell us what we have lost, but this book also gives us things we can do to re-skill ourselves. Little things that can and will make a difference. I am a big believer in stopping and sitting to watch the world go by, smell the flowers, look at the clouds and just be away from gadgets and screens, but it is something I have to make a conscious decision to do.
I found this book to be really addictive and I wasn’t expecting it to be as absorbing as it was. I think the inclusion of the historical facts made the lost skills relevant and how dependent we are on what we have around us now. It is not a book that preaches but just lays down the facts as they are and it is easy to how things have changed over the years, even in our own lifetimes.
Interesting and thought-provoking and one I would definitely recommend.
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I am delighted to share my review of The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them by Peter Wohleben. This is a fabulous book and one that made so much sense to me. After reading this book I immediate went and bought he previous one.
My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my paperback copy of this book from the publisher Greystone Books.
In the follow up to his Sunday Times bestseller, The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben compares tree planting to battery farming.
‘In clear, vivid prose with impeccable reasoning, Peter Wohlleben makes a compelling case that almost everything we do in modern forestry management may be dead wrong. What should we do instead? Let the wisdom of the trees quell our human arrogance, heal the forest and restore our sweet, green world’
Sy Montgomery, author of How to be a Good Creature and The Soul of an Octopus TREES CAN SURVIVE without humans, but we can’t live without trees. Even if human-caused climate change devastates our planet, trees will return—as they do, always and everywhere, even after ice ages, catastrophic fires, destructive storms, and deforestation. It would just be nice if we were around to see them flourish.
The Power of Trees is forester Peter Wohlleben’s follow-up to The Hidden Life of Trees, a Sunday Times bestseller that sold millions of copies worldwide. In his latest book, he is dismissive of token gestures in terms of tree planting. Just as he compared forest trees to ‘families’ and urban trees to ‘street urchins’ in his first book, in The Power of Trees he uses equally powerful metaphors to compare tree planting to battery farming (‘Switching to fast-growing species and breeding trees for desired traits brought results like those achieved by factory farming: individuals ready for harvest at a young age, all with a relatively uniform carcass weight.’). However, he also joyfully describes trees determination to survive, describing seedlings breaking through the earth where you least expect them, as ‘stalwart tree children’.
This latest work is as fascinating and eye-opening as it is trenchant in its critique: on the one hand, Wohlleben describes astonishing discoveries about how trees pass knowledge down to succeeding generations and their ability to survive climate change; on the other, he is unsparing in his criticism of those who wield economic and political power—who plant trees exclusively for the sake of logging and virtue signaling—even as they ruthlessly exploit nature. The Power of Trees is a love letter to the forest and a passionate argument for protecting nature’s boundless diversity, not only for the sake of trees, but also for us.
MY REVIEW
I am someone who loves being outside in my garden. It is a mix of fruit, veg and flowers and over the past 5 years, I have been planting trees to make my little plot as diverse as possible for the wildlife in my piece of Cornwall, UK. I have always been someone who likes the outside and living where I do I am close to nature as I live at the edge of a village. Surrounded by farmland, small areas of trees and also the coast. Reading The Power of Trees has opened up more ideas for me and there are little steps I can make in my own garden to do my part in helping the trees.
This is such a fantastic book to read, it is so informative. Yes, it is a bit science-based in places but not too much so. The author takes us through the evolution of trees, a slow natural process, and how this compares to how people try to manage a similar thing. Trees have adapted and changed over millions of years. There is fossilised evidence of plants and trees, so it does beg the question… how do we know more about the evolution of a species so different to ourselves. The fact that trees are the lungs of the earth makes it obvious that without them we would not survive.
The author tells how exasperated he gets when he comes across managed forests, these are planted for profit and are a single species. This means if there is a problem the whole forest can and does suffer. Rather than the diverse trees that have gradually made their homes and know how to work with the environment, managers believe they are better at doing it. they are not.
By removing the stalwarts of the older forest we are interfering and making the same mistakes over and over again. Scientists have been shouting for many years about how human progress is hindering the natural process. When you look at various documentaries, read articles online or just have a look with your own eyes, you can see that things are changing.
So why then do those in politics, who are backed by the money men prefer not to listen to what is backed up by years of research and study? It’s obvious, it’s all about the money, the profits and the financial gain.
As a gardener, I am aware of how carefully choosing the right plants to put in my garden. But it is becoming more difficult to work out what will do well in a particular growing season as the climate is so changeable. So how on earth can anyone work out what the climate will be like in 20 or 100 years times?
The author discusses many other things in this book and rather than paint a bleak picture he does offer hope. That we can change and see how beneficial the trees that have grown for hundreds of years actually know what they are doing, after all, they have been doing it for far longer. Trees are able to adapt to their surrounding, as is all plant life if it is in the right place at the right time.
The author has laid out this book in such a good way. He shows arguments from different groups, shows research and studies from people around the world and laid it down in the pages of his book. It makes sense, a couple of times I was a little lost in the science, but there really isn’t that much. It is such an informative read and one that as soon as I picked it up completely had me hooked. As soon as I finished this one I bought his previous book, The Hidden Life of Trees.
If you have any interest in nature and the environment, if you are a gardener, a person that likes being outside, or someone who likes to sit under a tree on a sunny day to have a coffee, then this is a book you might enjoy. I adored it and I have taken so much from it that I can actually use and therefore it makes it a very important book. An amazing book that I would absolutely recommend.
About the Author
PETER WOHLLEBEN is one of the world’s most notable foresters and a passionate advocate for tree conservation. Wohlleben lives in Germany, where he manages an ecologically conscious forest and runs an academy for education and advocacy. His books are bestsellers around the world. He speaks fluent English and will be In the UK 22-24 April 2023 to launch the book at the Cambridge Literary Festival and at The Linnean Society in London and available for further Interviews.
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