By Suzanne Simard, Narrated by Suzanne Simard
About halfway through the audio version of this memoir narrated by the renowned forestry scientist Suzanne Simard herself, I was ready to conclude that the author had not accomplished her goal of getting me to see the forest in anthropomorphic terms. Now that I have concluded the book, this is in some ways still true for me, but by the end of the book I was able to see the parallels between Dr. Simard’s personal story and the life of the forest. I eventually stepped into the shoes of both Dr. Simard and the forest.
This is a story of innate joy in curiosity turned into disciplined science and academic activism. It is a story of communication, competition, cooperation, and synergy.
In this book, you will learn how the forest works as a united whole, and you will find broad understanding and implications for human life with friends, family, and society in general. By the end of the book, the title truly has a specially developed meaning. You will find the mother tree.
Note: I found the audiobook could be comfortably enjoyed at 1.5X.