But, surely, after taking in the fragile beauty of a decaying red oak leaf, or staring jaw-dropped at the explosive majesty of a white ash flower, you will find it darn near impossible to hurry past any tree and not
BY BARBARA MAHANY | CHICAGO TRIBUNE
“Seeing Trees: Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees,” By Nancy Ross Hugo; Photography by Robert Llewellyn. Timber Press, $29.95
What it is: You might be tempted to call “Seeing Trees” simply a close look at 10 everyday trees. But that would miss the point here, which is to draw the reader into the exquisite detail in mostly overlooked tree parts: the bark, the leaves, the flowers and cones, even the twigs. On these pages, you’ll see those botanical bits in ways you’ve never before absorbed them. That’s because of Llewellyn’s technique of stitching together eight to 45 images of each subject, so you can’t help but be bowled over by the beauty at play in the science.
What makes it armchair-worthy: A slow turn through the pages of this extraordinary dissection of 10 not-so-uncommon trees is, in fact, a short course in the fine art of seeing. The overarching thesis here — look close, attend to the details — is one worth applying to any nook and cranny of your life, of course.
But, surely, after taking in the fragile beauty of a decaying red oak leaf, or staring jaw-dropped at the explosive majesty of a white ash flower, you will find it darn near impossible to hurry past any tree and not feel the urge to brake and behold all the mystery and secret it has to offer.
