[Ecodharma] - the web of life

[Tairin]

Recently I’ve read two books that I think may be of interest to those of you here.

“Entangled Life - How Fungi make our worlds, change our minds, and shape our futures” by Merlin Sheldrake
“The Hidden Life of Trees - What they feel, How they communicate” by Peter Wohlleben

These are two fascinating books on the web of life and how interconnected life is - one from the perspective of fungi and one from the perspective of trees. Both books are written in a very engaging style and easy reads.

I started this thread in hopes that others might use it to suggest similar books about how our wonderful world supports our interdependent life.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Doshin]

Thank you Tairin. My wife is reading the Hinden Life of Trees now.

I will think of books to suggest.

For now I would like to offer Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold that was published in the 1940s. I first read this book over 50 years ago and it influenced my thinking about nature, conservation and our place in it. In the US Aldo Leopold is is revered by many in the conservation/environmental community. He is considered the father of Wildlife Management and I was tasked with reading one of his books for my orals in graduate school. Quotes of his sayings float through the Internet, are included in displays in National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges, and often found in other books. He was an advocate for the first Wilderness system ever established which is in New Mexico near where I live (Gila National Wilderness)…I showed this area to Jundo and Jishin a few years ago. Next to the Gila Wilderness and closer to me is the Aldo Leopold Wilderness area. It was a book that greatly influenced the conservation movement.

Doshin
St

[Meian]

The Hidden Life of Trees has been on my list for a while -- my daughter read it with her class and would tell me little facts sometimes.

The other book about fungi is unknown to me, but sounds amazing so I'll add that.

Thanks for starting this thread -- what a great topic!

Gassho, meian stlh

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[Kokuu]

“Entangled Life - How Fungi make our worlds, change our minds, and shape our futures” by Merlin Sheldrake
“The Hidden Life of Trees - What they feel, How they communicate” by Peter Wohlleben

Thank you, Tairin! I read Entangled Life earlier this year and it is one of the best natural history/popular science books I have read for a long time. It was also nice that some research from my former lab was cited. Entangled Life definitely makes you think about life and fungi in a different way.

The Hidden Life of Trees is a book I have been aware of for some time so good to have a recommendation.

I have Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard next up on my non-Zen reading list which which relates to them both in looking at mycorrhizal connections between trees.

I am ashamed to admit I have not read Sand County Almanac as I know it is a classic of deep ecology but have always shied away for fear of it being too American.

My own recommendation is for one of the best books I have read in the past decade - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Robin is both a biologist and member of the Potawatomi Nation. As a result she weaves together the viewpoints of indigenous peoples and science in looking at plants, humans and the natural world in general. So good!

Thank you all for continuing this discussion.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Doshin]

“i am ashamed to admit I have not read Sand County Almanac as I know it is a classic of deep ecology but have always shied away for fear of it being too American.”



Like Apple Pie

Doshin
St

[Naiko]

Thank you for the recommendations. So many books in my queue. I can’t yet say what I think them, but up next for me are Limits and Beyond (a follow up to The Limits of Growth published in 1972 by The Club of Rome), An Immense World by Ed Yong, Timefulness, How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save The World, by Marcia Bjornerud, and perhaps Regenesis, Feeding The World Without Devouring The Planet by George Monbiot.

There is a lovely novel by Richard Powers about trees (and people) called The Overstory. I really enjoyed it.

Naiko (ran wordy)
st

[Tairin]

My own recommendation is for one of the best books I have read in the past decade - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Robin is both a biologist and member of the Potawatomi Nation. As a result she weaves together the viewpoints of indigenous peoples and science in looking at plants, humans and the natural world in general. So good!
-

Thank you so much for this recommendation This was a fantastic book. I’ve really been struggling with identifying what an alternative to our Western-materialistic-consumer driven lifestyle could look like. This was a beautiful articulation of an alternative. It also gave me a much better appreciation for the horrors we “settlers” have inflicted on Indigenous nations of North America

I think I will look into her other book “Gathering Moss”


Tairin
Sat today and lah