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Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America
A sweeping natural history of the most valuable trees on earth that have quietly transformed our economies, cultural traditions, and collective imagination for millennia.
Every December, homes, offices, and town squares around the world are adorned with lavishly decorated evergreens to ring in the holiday season. But how did this beloved tradition begin? And as the planet continues to warm and more people swap real trees for artificial ones, will Christmas trees still be here for future generations?
In Evergreen, Cornell University professor Trent Preszler takes us on a riveting journey through history, culture, and science, exploring America’s story through the lives of its most resilient and cherished trees. From the annual hunt for the perfect Rockefeller Center spruce, back to the earliest days when Ancestral Puebloan builders crafted remarkable dwellings from pine beams, Evergreen reveals surprising connections between past and present that fueled America’s rise to global prominence.
With masterly prose and a cinematic eye, Preszler captures the enduring struggle between nature’s grandeur and humanity’s desire to control and consume it. At once expansive and intimate, Evergreen delivers a stirring reflection on what it means to live in a world where Christmas trees stand as silent witnesses to our restless ambition, challenging us to reconsider the delicate balance between commercial excess and our profound yearning for hope and immortality.
Every December, homes, offices, and town squares around the world are adorned with lavishly decorated evergreens to ring in the holiday season. But how did this beloved tradition begin? And as the planet continues to warm and more people swap real trees for artificial ones, will Christmas trees still be here for future generations?
In Evergreen, Cornell University professor Trent Preszler takes us on a riveting journey through history, culture, and science, exploring America’s story through the lives of its most resilient and cherished trees. From the annual hunt for the perfect Rockefeller Center spruce, back to the earliest days when Ancestral Puebloan builders crafted remarkable dwellings from pine beams, Evergreen reveals surprising connections between past and present that fueled America’s rise to global prominence.
With masterly prose and a cinematic eye, Preszler captures the enduring struggle between nature’s grandeur and humanity’s desire to control and consume it. At once expansive and intimate, Evergreen delivers a stirring reflection on what it means to live in a world where Christmas trees stand as silent witnesses to our restless ambition, challenging us to reconsider the delicate balance between commercial excess and our profound yearning for hope and immortality.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 15, 2025
This book really works, and for several reasons:
1) Trees. Obviously, trees are the best, and everyone should love learning about them.
2) American history, from the perspective of trees. History lessons are more engaging when told from a defined perspective, like the experience of one person or of a specific cultural group. The downside of such a view is that it’s typically quite limited in scope. When Preszler takes on American history from the perspective of evergreen trees, we get a narrative that is at once sweepingly broad and intimately specific.
3) Christmas trees. The book starts and ends with Christmas trees, with an American evergreen odyssey in between. The combo feels a tad forced on the surface, but for millions of Americans who live their lives far from forests, Christmas trees might be the only time we actually get close to evergreens, making them apt arboreal diplomats.
My only gripe is that the subject of the book, the trees themselves, are treated throughout more as objects than as subjects. Trees and forests have fascinating inner lives, and there is ample research in this area to draw on. That’s not what this book is about, and that’s ok, but a chapter or even a solid passage would have been nice.
A note on the audiobook: I started reading this book in print and finished it on audio. The narrator is great, and I highly recommend the audiobook.
Thank you to Algonquin Books, Trent Preszler, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
1) Trees. Obviously, trees are the best, and everyone should love learning about them.
2) American history, from the perspective of trees. History lessons are more engaging when told from a defined perspective, like the experience of one person or of a specific cultural group. The downside of such a view is that it’s typically quite limited in scope. When Preszler takes on American history from the perspective of evergreen trees, we get a narrative that is at once sweepingly broad and intimately specific.
3) Christmas trees. The book starts and ends with Christmas trees, with an American evergreen odyssey in between. The combo feels a tad forced on the surface, but for millions of Americans who live their lives far from forests, Christmas trees might be the only time we actually get close to evergreens, making them apt arboreal diplomats.
My only gripe is that the subject of the book, the trees themselves, are treated throughout more as objects than as subjects. Trees and forests have fascinating inner lives, and there is ample research in this area to draw on. That’s not what this book is about, and that’s ok, but a chapter or even a solid passage would have been nice.
A note on the audiobook: I started reading this book in print and finished it on audio. The narrator is great, and I highly recommend the audiobook.
Thank you to Algonquin Books, Trent Preszler, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
January 29, 2026
Rounding up a little as this is at times not deep enough and overly precious BUT it is still thoughtful and perhaps because of the lack of depth is able to be quite vast quite quickly.
A good overview of much of our history (and some “hidden” historical stories/facts) told through the lens of evergreen trees.
A good overview of much of our history (and some “hidden” historical stories/facts) told through the lens of evergreen trees.
August 19, 2025
Having read Trent Preszler’s first book and absolutely loving it, I always wondered what his follow up book would be. This book on Evergreens is basically what I expected. In my head, I call him the next Michael Pollan (due to my deep love of Michael) and I think this book continues in that vein. As Trent is someone who studied plants and has seen the change within them, this book hits the mark. One of the best books of the year that I have read. Informative and just a fun read.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2025
I went into this book thinking I would find out some new information about the history of Christmas trees. What I ended up coming out with was a deeper appreciation for how woven into the history of humans is the evergreen tree, in all its forms. The trees are symbols of culture and worship and tradition, as well as markers of human progress and expansion. They form the foundations for the rise and fall of civilizations, and their imagery has morphed over the centuries to fit current narrative. Trent Preszler's work in this book is fascinating, both a history and a look at the intersection of man and nature, of the use (and mis/over-use) of resources without thinking about the cost.
Having grown up near mountains known for sky-high sequoia trees, this book felt like looking at my own relationship to evergreens and their silent watch over the passage of time.
I read this book as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Having grown up near mountains known for sky-high sequoia trees, this book felt like looking at my own relationship to evergreens and their silent watch over the passage of time.
I read this book as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
December 18, 2025
I found this fascinating! compulsively readable and full of interesting facts and history.
January 14, 2026
This book was way more informative and interesting than I expected tbh. I learned lots about the history of Christmas trees, the evolution of evergreens, the ecological and economical impact of logging, the societal and cultural impacts that logging had on America, and so much more. Who knew lumber jacks played such a big role in queer history?! Not me until just now! I enjoyed this book a lot and would definitely recommend.
January 19, 2026
One of the most informative books I’ve ever read. “Nearly every significant human achievement has hinged upon unlocking the energy stored within evergreens.” Who knew?
January 13, 2026
Meh. Interesting idea though
September 8, 2025
4.5 Stars.
Preszler's Evergreen is not exactly what I expected; I think I went into it assuming that it would be something like Yovel's soon to be released The Genius Bat wherein I would get a broad overview on the current lines of research and understanding of a broad range of coniferous evergreens. Instead, I got something closer to what the title promises: a cultural history of the tree and its relationship with the United States and more broadly with humanity in general.
When a book turns out to be different than initial expectations, there are typically one of three reactions: disappointment, apathy or curiosity, and it is well that my reaction was the latter of these. Now with no presuppositions about what I was to read, I was free to follow Preszler wherever he chose to take me. The journey had a certain level of focus but frequently felt somewhat rambling, as though we would occasionally forget that the book was supposed to be about evergreens and had to refocus. While it did irk me once or twice, ultimately, I found that this sort of "focused meandering," as I am choosing to call it, was a good thing. It allowed Preszler to hit on some interesting and salient points that seemed tangential but were ultimately important in understanding the evergreen's impact on American society and culture.
Mostly, Evergreen was a good time. The stories told are interesting, the niche history lesson is surprising and revelatory, and while Preszler keeps the footnotes and citations out of the main body of the work, a robust list of works cited at the end of the book leaves space for interested readers to continue with their own research on topics that might interest them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for advanced access to this book scheduled to be published December 2, 2025 at time of writing.
Preszler's Evergreen is not exactly what I expected; I think I went into it assuming that it would be something like Yovel's soon to be released The Genius Bat wherein I would get a broad overview on the current lines of research and understanding of a broad range of coniferous evergreens. Instead, I got something closer to what the title promises: a cultural history of the tree and its relationship with the United States and more broadly with humanity in general.
When a book turns out to be different than initial expectations, there are typically one of three reactions: disappointment, apathy or curiosity, and it is well that my reaction was the latter of these. Now with no presuppositions about what I was to read, I was free to follow Preszler wherever he chose to take me. The journey had a certain level of focus but frequently felt somewhat rambling, as though we would occasionally forget that the book was supposed to be about evergreens and had to refocus. While it did irk me once or twice, ultimately, I found that this sort of "focused meandering," as I am choosing to call it, was a good thing. It allowed Preszler to hit on some interesting and salient points that seemed tangential but were ultimately important in understanding the evergreen's impact on American society and culture.
Mostly, Evergreen was a good time. The stories told are interesting, the niche history lesson is surprising and revelatory, and while Preszler keeps the footnotes and citations out of the main body of the work, a robust list of works cited at the end of the book leaves space for interested readers to continue with their own research on topics that might interest them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for advanced access to this book scheduled to be published December 2, 2025 at time of writing.
January 5, 2026
Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America
by Trent Preszler
Thank you to Algonquin Books for the gifted copy.
Evergreen is an engaging and thoughtful blend of natural history, cultural reflection, and American storytelling. Trent Preszler uses evergreen trees as a throughline to explore how deeply intertwined human progress has been with the forests we have relied on, revered, and too often exhausted. What could have been a narrow topic opens into something surprisingly expansive.
The book works best when it connects trees to human ambition. From ancient builders hauling massive pines across unforgiving landscapes to modern traditions like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, Preszler shows how evergreens have quietly shaped economies, belief systems, and ideas of permanence and hope. The history is accessible and well paced, making complex environmental and cultural shifts easy to follow without feeling simplistic.
I especially appreciated the way this book reframes Christmas trees. Rather than treating them as a seasonal novelty, Preszler positions them as one of the few remaining points of contact many people have with forests at all. That perspective adds weight to a tradition most of us take for granted.
At times, the focus leans more toward what humans have done with trees than toward the trees themselves. Readers hoping for deeper exploration of forest ecology or the inner workings of trees may wish for more space given to that side of the story. Still, the broader narrative of use, reverence, and consequence remains compelling throughout.
Informative, reflective, and quietly sobering, Evergreen deepened my appreciation for how much of our history is literally rooted in the natural world.
4 stars.
by Trent Preszler
Thank you to Algonquin Books for the gifted copy.
Evergreen is an engaging and thoughtful blend of natural history, cultural reflection, and American storytelling. Trent Preszler uses evergreen trees as a throughline to explore how deeply intertwined human progress has been with the forests we have relied on, revered, and too often exhausted. What could have been a narrow topic opens into something surprisingly expansive.
The book works best when it connects trees to human ambition. From ancient builders hauling massive pines across unforgiving landscapes to modern traditions like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, Preszler shows how evergreens have quietly shaped economies, belief systems, and ideas of permanence and hope. The history is accessible and well paced, making complex environmental and cultural shifts easy to follow without feeling simplistic.
I especially appreciated the way this book reframes Christmas trees. Rather than treating them as a seasonal novelty, Preszler positions them as one of the few remaining points of contact many people have with forests at all. That perspective adds weight to a tradition most of us take for granted.
At times, the focus leans more toward what humans have done with trees than toward the trees themselves. Readers hoping for deeper exploration of forest ecology or the inner workings of trees may wish for more space given to that side of the story. Still, the broader narrative of use, reverence, and consequence remains compelling throughout.
Informative, reflective, and quietly sobering, Evergreen deepened my appreciation for how much of our history is literally rooted in the natural world.
4 stars.
December 27, 2025
Listened on audio. This was interesting. There were some really interesting parts...and some parts that I didn't care for or that felt a bit too didactic.
It talked about how the burning of wood allowed for civilizations' rise. It allowed them to make tools, use carts and plows, create weapons, and so on.
It talked about the cedars of Lebanon...the most mentioned item in the Bible.
It talked about the the bathhouses of ancient Rome. And how often civilizations have over consumed evergreens...and that often led to the fall of the civilization.
I thought it was fascinating to hear about the people of Chaco Canyon (especially having visited there)...they would tie a line to a giant Ponderosa pine and then tie the line around their forehead and drage the pines long distances. Some of the trails made by this dragging can still be seen as you traverse difficult southwest terrain. The Chacoans did this multiple times over 3 centureies without wheels or horses or wagons. But they didn't enjoy the fruits of their labors for nearly long enough...only about a century after creating their long houses and kivas and then they faced difficulty. Removing the ponderosa pines left nothing to prevent erosion and flooding.
Over and over, in many parts of the world, we have over consumed the evergreens.
I also enjoyed the discussion on the use of trees as Christmas trees.
It talked about how the burning of wood allowed for civilizations' rise. It allowed them to make tools, use carts and plows, create weapons, and so on.
It talked about the cedars of Lebanon...the most mentioned item in the Bible.
It talked about the the bathhouses of ancient Rome. And how often civilizations have over consumed evergreens...and that often led to the fall of the civilization.
I thought it was fascinating to hear about the people of Chaco Canyon (especially having visited there)...they would tie a line to a giant Ponderosa pine and then tie the line around their forehead and drage the pines long distances. Some of the trails made by this dragging can still be seen as you traverse difficult southwest terrain. The Chacoans did this multiple times over 3 centureies without wheels or horses or wagons. But they didn't enjoy the fruits of their labors for nearly long enough...only about a century after creating their long houses and kivas and then they faced difficulty. Removing the ponderosa pines left nothing to prevent erosion and flooding.
Over and over, in many parts of the world, we have over consumed the evergreens.
I also enjoyed the discussion on the use of trees as Christmas trees.
August 22, 2025
When I first saw this book was going to be released, I was super excited. I love reading about nature and conservation. Thank you Algonquin Books for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This book was what I expected and more. Trent Preszler does a wonderful job at diving into the long history of the evergreen and how it has shaped America. He has such an eloquent way of characterizing the evergreen. The imagery that Trent invokes allows the reader to step inside the book and really feel the feelings he is conveying.
This book is being released just in time for Christmas which is extremely apt. The prologue really captures how Christmas feels now as an adult. I felt those words in my soul. There is so much that I learned about the evergreen from how the Rockefeller tree is chosen to its role in various world wars. Not only is the story of the evergreen powerfully told, but Trent touches on the impact on American culture, specifically the negative impact the arrival of colonists had on Native Americans. The way both the evergreen and the Native Americans were taken advantage of and cast aside is eye-opening. Everything that has happened to forests in the past 300-400 years since colonists stepped foot in North America is still impacting us today. This book is an important read if you are passionate about conservation.
This book was what I expected and more. Trent Preszler does a wonderful job at diving into the long history of the evergreen and how it has shaped America. He has such an eloquent way of characterizing the evergreen. The imagery that Trent invokes allows the reader to step inside the book and really feel the feelings he is conveying.
This book is being released just in time for Christmas which is extremely apt. The prologue really captures how Christmas feels now as an adult. I felt those words in my soul. There is so much that I learned about the evergreen from how the Rockefeller tree is chosen to its role in various world wars. Not only is the story of the evergreen powerfully told, but Trent touches on the impact on American culture, specifically the negative impact the arrival of colonists had on Native Americans. The way both the evergreen and the Native Americans were taken advantage of and cast aside is eye-opening. Everything that has happened to forests in the past 300-400 years since colonists stepped foot in North America is still impacting us today. This book is an important read if you are passionate about conservation.
December 31, 2025
Really 4.5.
A short history of the relationship between humans and evergreen trees, especially in the United States.
It's pretty hard to summarize this book, but basically Preszler investigates the importance of evergreens throughout human history. We learn about one of the key causes of the American Revolution (pine forests in New England); the way these trees have housed, warmed, and transported us; and how they became a beloved symbol of Christmas.
Preszler doesn't ignore the devastation wreaked by European settlers and their descendants: destructive federal policies (from wildfire "management" to unfortunate reforestation projects) and the effects of outright greed coupled with the disregard for preserving one of North America's greatest resources.
Throughout we also learn about the lumber business and its negative impact on the natural environment and on how everyone f-'d over Indigenous peoples.
I learned a lot, and the book held my attention throughout. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Algonquin for egalley. I loved this so much I bought a copy for my permanent library.
A short history of the relationship between humans and evergreen trees, especially in the United States.
It's pretty hard to summarize this book, but basically Preszler investigates the importance of evergreens throughout human history. We learn about one of the key causes of the American Revolution (pine forests in New England); the way these trees have housed, warmed, and transported us; and how they became a beloved symbol of Christmas.
Preszler doesn't ignore the devastation wreaked by European settlers and their descendants: destructive federal policies (from wildfire "management" to unfortunate reforestation projects) and the effects of outright greed coupled with the disregard for preserving one of North America's greatest resources.
Throughout we also learn about the lumber business and its negative impact on the natural environment and on how everyone f-'d over Indigenous peoples.
I learned a lot, and the book held my attention throughout. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Algonquin for egalley. I loved this so much I bought a copy for my permanent library.
December 8, 2025
Evergreen is an absorbing, beautifully written exploration of the trees that have shaped American culture, heritage, and imagination. Trent Preszler blends history, science, and storytelling with an ease that keeps the narrative vibrant and deeply informative.
The book moves through centuries with grace, connecting ancient Puebloan craftsmanship, modern forestry, and the iconic Christmas tree tradition in a way that feels both expansive and intimate. Preszler has a rare gift for making the natural world feel alive on the page, and his reflections on climate change, cultural memory, and our relationship with nature add weight without losing warmth.
The Rockefeller Center spruce chapters are especially compelling, revealing how one ritual tree can embody collective hope, ambition, and nostalgia. The writing shines with clarity and intention, making this both a captivating read and a meditation on what we stand to lose if we do not protect the landscapes that shaped us.
A rich, thoughtful, and wonderfully researched work.
The book moves through centuries with grace, connecting ancient Puebloan craftsmanship, modern forestry, and the iconic Christmas tree tradition in a way that feels both expansive and intimate. Preszler has a rare gift for making the natural world feel alive on the page, and his reflections on climate change, cultural memory, and our relationship with nature add weight without losing warmth.
The Rockefeller Center spruce chapters are especially compelling, revealing how one ritual tree can embody collective hope, ambition, and nostalgia. The writing shines with clarity and intention, making this both a captivating read and a meditation on what we stand to lose if we do not protect the landscapes that shaped us.
A rich, thoughtful, and wonderfully researched work.
January 17, 2026
Actually, a 3.5 rating. While I loved the sweeping overview of the historical relationship of mankind and evergreen, I was disappointed that the author (or publisher) didn't provide necessary footnotes and references. There is a bibliography, but no index. No photos. So, while the writing is engaging, and the stories captivating, the work overall left me wanting more. I wanted a visual experience by way of photos, and a means to explore further via footnotes and references. Preszler addresses this omission in the introduction to his bibliography: "While writing this book, I avoided obstructing the reader's experience with exhaustive bibliographical citations, but I remained meticulous about my sources." (I've read many a book where the "exhaustive bibliographical citations" are provided at the end of the book and referenced by page number.) All that aside, this is a unique and worthwhile read. Well-done Trent Preszler.
January 24, 2026
Incredibly well researched and captivating! Very powerful assessment of colonial and market exploitation of a treasured resource. The author pulls no punches. I had no idea of the breadth of the destruction of forests that has occurred, nor the lame-brained solutions that government agencies enacted.
A couple of criticisms. There was little mention of the burn-management that is so vital to forest fire prevention - especially in California - and any current initiatives that are underway to encourage (or legislate) such measures.
Also, not sure why detailing same-sex attraction and behaviors are outlined and justified in a book about evergreens, but I suppose it is the author’s prerogative.
I enjoyed the book and sped through it hoping over and over again that there would be offsetting examples of success, but they were few. Weyerhaeuser deserves a ‘bravo’ even though it appears their altruistic approach to replanting is market-driven.
Good book, glad I read it
A couple of criticisms. There was little mention of the burn-management that is so vital to forest fire prevention - especially in California - and any current initiatives that are underway to encourage (or legislate) such measures.
Also, not sure why detailing same-sex attraction and behaviors are outlined and justified in a book about evergreens, but I suppose it is the author’s prerogative.
I enjoyed the book and sped through it hoping over and over again that there would be offsetting examples of success, but they were few. Weyerhaeuser deserves a ‘bravo’ even though it appears their altruistic approach to replanting is market-driven.
Good book, glad I read it
December 22, 2025
This book was interesting and definitely covered the history of evergreens (mostly for Christmas tree purposes) In the US, but I feel like I can only give it a 3 just based on my enjoyment or lack thereof. It was probably my expectations but I just found this book depressing and demoralizing. I get that the history and future look bleak but I just wanted to casually learn some neat things about trees not how depraved and callous Americans have been or can be. I know this already. I didn't need chapter after chapter telling me we ruined the world. I'm definitely not saying the story shouldn't be told. I just wasn't expecting that and maybe reading it during the holiday season where I wanted something more uplifting was poor timing on my part. The book is informative with many eye opening accounts, but it's bleak. Don't expect happy endings for anyone or anything really.
December 31, 2025
So much about this book made me enjoy it. Reading about the role of Christmas trees on U.S. history pushed all my buttons as a lover of nature, history, and Christmas. The author even threw in a significant number of gay references to round things out! Who knew how important conifers were in bringing gay guys together, let alone changing the course of economic and social development for the rest of the country!
One bold statement early in the book made me wonder though. In discussing the early New England settlers' role in decimating land and people, the author stated: "The abandoned Patuxet site would become Plymouth Colony, the first British settlement in America." This was given in context of the Mayflower Pilgrims in the winter of 1620-1621. It seems the author forgot about the Jamestown colony founded by Londoners over a decade earlier.
One bold statement early in the book made me wonder though. In discussing the early New England settlers' role in decimating land and people, the author stated: "The abandoned Patuxet site would become Plymouth Colony, the first British settlement in America." This was given in context of the Mayflower Pilgrims in the winter of 1620-1621. It seems the author forgot about the Jamestown colony founded by Londoners over a decade earlier.
December 11, 2025
Enjoyable, meandering, and enlightening-- unfortunately most of what I listened to is already out of my brain but I still enjoyed the ride!
The tidbit I remember most is that one redwood tree had enough wood for 37 houses! Kinda neat, kinda infuriating given we logged 95% of the old growth forests. I sure love those trees.
The tidbit I remember most is that one redwood tree had enough wood for 37 houses! Kinda neat, kinda infuriating given we logged 95% of the old growth forests. I sure love those trees.
December 18, 2025
I really enjoyed Trent Preszler’s memoir, so I was excited to see he’d written another book. And while I wasn’t originally sure I needed a book about evergreen trees in my life, it turns out I did! It was a really interesting book weaving together history, science, and sociology, that was still very readable. If you’re looking for something a little niche, definitely pick this one up.
January 3, 2026
What a well researched and informative book. The author takes us on a journey with our complicated relationship with the natural world around us, using evergreens to tell the story. The book is filled with little known facts on the industry of trees and the people who changed history in good and catastrophic ways.
January 28, 2026
Preszler, up front, debates whether he should buy a plastic Christmas tree or a real one. It's an existential crisis, honestly, and it's not lost on him our lives are fueled by Christmas trees of the past, coal and oil, and our future (thanks to climate change) is dependent upon saving them.
If you've read John Green's "Everything is Tuberculous," you might consider the alternative title here, "Everything is Evergreen." For example, our nation was colonized for new land, yes, but primarily because Europe burnt its forests building new shit. And Europe needed new pine. And that's just the beginning of niche pockets of history that open to a whole new understanding.
Preszler delves into pine for planes. He talks about logging camps, the original queer communities. He ties American history, at every turn, into a study of trees and how they literally shape our lives. Don't be surprised to see this book on Book Club shelves at your library, or maybe even at REI.
If you've read John Green's "Everything is Tuberculous," you might consider the alternative title here, "Everything is Evergreen." For example, our nation was colonized for new land, yes, but primarily because Europe burnt its forests building new shit. And Europe needed new pine. And that's just the beginning of niche pockets of history that open to a whole new understanding.
Preszler delves into pine for planes. He talks about logging camps, the original queer communities. He ties American history, at every turn, into a study of trees and how they literally shape our lives. Don't be surprised to see this book on Book Club shelves at your library, or maybe even at REI.
December 23, 2025
The best parts of this book are about Christmas trees as a social phenomenon. But most of it is just a history of the American lumber industry. Except it's structured as a microhistory so it becomes really repetitive. In every chapter--shocking twist--one of America's core industries is shitty to its workers and the environment! Who woulda thunk it? Like, it's true, but reading the same shocking twist fifteen times in a row gets tedious. I'm not stupid! And since this is only about evergreens, I worried we were only getting half the story. Isn't there something to be learned from America's use of willows? Oaks? Magnolias? We know America is full of trees with leaves that fall. It's a whole thing for us. But we're trying to tell the story of the lumber industry while ignoring all of those. Ok. Sure.
Still, the sections about the Christmas tree industry are very strong, with actual original reporting and not repetitive historical lectures.
2.5 stars.
Still, the sections about the Christmas tree industry are very strong, with actual original reporting and not repetitive historical lectures.
2.5 stars.
December 21, 2025
Very interesting book, although reading about how humanity has butchered our old growth trees was torture to me. The author is gay and included a bunch of somewhat irrelevent facts about gay lumberjacks which I could have done without.
January 12, 2026
This book discusses the cultural, social, and economic impact of coniferous trees in America. It is a fascinating tale. Being a native Oregon, I had no idea how much I needed to learn about stewardship, logging, species, and the history of western expansion.
Read
January 23, 2026Thank you for Libro.FM through the ALC program for this fascinating listen! The audio was well produced and I found the information incredibly interesting. The author did a great job weaving together the history with the main thread being trees. So cool!
December 30, 2025
Definitely something different for me but actually very interesting!
Thank you Libro.Fm for an early copy!
Thank you Libro.Fm for an early copy!
December 31, 2025
Fascinating!
Want to read
January 3, 2026I received a free copy from libro.fm as part of the educator audiobook listening copies. All opinions are my own. #librofm #hachette
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews