To celebrate the 10th anniversary edition of Peter Wohlleben’s bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees (Greystone Books, May) PW spoke to the author about the value of feeling empathy for trees, how indie booksellers fueled his publishing success, and why his book’s message still resonates.
How has The Hidden Life of Trees helped change the public conversation about trees?
I could have never anticipated how many millions of people would read my book, but I always hoped that readers would come away with a new understanding about trees. When I started working as a forester here in Germany, I realized that many people see trees as inanimate objects, a resource to be extracted for our personal use without regard for consequences. When I began to write, I hoped that I could open readers’ eyes to the myriad ways that trees are just like us: they live in social groups, they communicate, they care for one another, and they feel the loss of their tree friends. People from all walks of life tell me that my book has given them empathy for trees. We should feel empathy for trees just as we feel empathy for each other. And I believe many of us now do.
How do you think the book will impact the discussion over the next 10 years?
Trees give people hope, and forests give us an example of a harmonious community that works to everyone’s benefit. I hope my book will continue to inspire people to see forests as a place of refuge when we need to emotionally recharge, and as a model of interdependence and cooperation—the kind of society we should all be striving for.
What role did independent bookstores play in the success of The Hidden Life of Trees?
An enormous role. I am forever indebted to independent booksellers for discovering my book before many others did, and for supporting it from the beginning. And I’ve had the good fortune of doing a few tours, memorable experiences I will always cherish—also because many booksellers are generous, and take me to their own favorite trees!
What do you think makes The Hidden Life of Trees so popular even a decade after its release?
Humans are drawn to stories about empathy. I also think we are drawn to stories that surprise us when we thought we knew all there was to know. Over the last decades, researchers have been tearing down the barriers between animals and plants. Scientists have found that trees have brain-like structures in their root tips, that they have the ability to hear, and that they even have something like “eyes” that can probably see very well. Every year, we discover new ways that trees are similar to us, and thing like “eyes” that can probably see very well. Every year, we discover new ways that trees are similar to us, and that continues to inspire people's interest in them.
