Trees : Between Earth and Heaven

Art Wolfe’s immersive photos capture the wonder humans have felt about trees for millennia.

Art Wolfe’s immersive photos capture the wonder humans have felt about trees for millennia.

From the ancient Assyrian Tree of Life to the Iroquois peoples’ Tree of Peace, trees have played an archetypal role in human culture and spirituality since time immemorial. An integral part of a variety of faiths—from Buddhism and Hinduism to Nordic and aboriginal religions—trees were venerated long before any written historical records existed.

This sense of reverence and wonder is beautifully evoked in these vivid images from legendary photographer Art Wolfe. The new, giftable format of his celebrated book on the topic, Trees, focuses on both individual specimens and entire forests, offering a sweeping yet intimate look at an arboreal world that spans six continents. To accompany these timeless images, author Gregory McNamee weaves a diverse and global account of the myths, cultures, and traditions that convey the long-standing symbiosis between trees and humans, and renowned ethnobotanist Wade Davis anchors the text with a penetrating introduction. Humans have always shared this planet with trees, and this book is both a breathtaking journey through and an homage to that relationship and its past, present, and future—now in a new, beautiful, and highly giftable format.