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Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees
Over millions of years, fig trees have shaped our world, influenced our evolution, nourished our bodies and fed our imaginations. And as author and ecologist Mike Shanahan proclaims, "The best could be yet to come."
Gods, Wasps and Stranglers weaves together the mythology, history and ecology of one of the world's most fascinating-and diverse-groups of plants, from their starring role in every major religion to their potential to restore rainforests, halt the loss of rare and endangered species and even limit climate change.
In this lively and joyous book, Shanahan recounts the epic journeys of tiny fig wasps, whose eighty-million-year-old relationship with fig trees has helped them sustain more species of birds and mammals than any other trees; the curious habits of fig-dependent rhinoceros hornbills; figs' connection to Krishna and Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad; and even their importance to Kenya's struggle for independence.
Ultimately, Gods, Wasps and Stranglers is a story about humanity's relationship with nature, one that is as relevant to our future as it is to our past.
Gods, Wasps and Stranglers weaves together the mythology, history and ecology of one of the world's most fascinating-and diverse-groups of plants, from their starring role in every major religion to their potential to restore rainforests, halt the loss of rare and endangered species and even limit climate change.
In this lively and joyous book, Shanahan recounts the epic journeys of tiny fig wasps, whose eighty-million-year-old relationship with fig trees has helped them sustain more species of birds and mammals than any other trees; the curious habits of fig-dependent rhinoceros hornbills; figs' connection to Krishna and Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad; and even their importance to Kenya's struggle for independence.
Ultimately, Gods, Wasps and Stranglers is a story about humanity's relationship with nature, one that is as relevant to our future as it is to our past.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2016
64 people are currently reading
1232 people want to read
About the author
Mike Shanahan
1 book26 followersMike Shanahan is a freelance writer with a doctorate in rainforest ecology. He has lived in a national park in Borneo, bred endangered penguins, investigated illegal bear farms, produced award-winning journalism and spent several weeks of his life at the annual United Nations climate change negotiations. He is interested in what people think about nature and our place in it. His writing includes work published by The Economist, Nature, The Ecologist and Ensia, and chapters of Dry: Life without Water (Harvard University Press); Climate Change and the Media (Peter Lang Publishing) and Culture and Climate Change: Narratives (Shed). He is the illustrator of Extraordinary Animals (Greenwood Publishing Group) and maintains a blog called Under the Banyan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
September 6, 2018
A whole book about fig trees? That’s right! If you’re a voracious nonfiction reader like me, you’ll find freelance journalist Mike Shanahan’s history of fig trees unexpectedly fascinating. It opens with him atop a series of ladders in a national park in Borneo, reaching past a venomous snake to pick some figs. He did many such exciting things in his research towards a PhD in rainforest ecology, but that 1998 encounter was significantly more intrepid than his earliest experience with the genus: he remembers a potted weeping fig in the hallway of his childhood home.
From that little tree to the largest banyans, Ficus encompasses 750+ species and has had a major place in human culture for millennia. Fig trees turn up in Greek origin myths and are sacred to Hindus. Romulus and Remus were rescued from drowning in the Tiber by fig tree roots. The tree the Buddha sat under to meditate? A fig. The fruit Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden? More likely a fig than an apple given the Middle Eastern climate and the fact that they then sew fig leaves together to cover their nakedness. (The confusion may have come about because in Latin malum means either “apple” or “evil”.)
Figs offer some biological surprises. For one thing, the plants have no apparent flowers. That’s because the flowers are internal: a fig is not technically a fruit but a hollow ball lined with tiny flowers that must be pollinated by two-millimeter-long fig-wasps. Strangler figs colonize a host tree, starting as a seed in the canopy and enveloping it in long tangled roots. Many tropical birds and mammals rely on figs, including monkeys and hornbills. Figs were, Shanahan writes, the “original superfood” for our primate ancestors.
The habitats where fig trees thrive face severe challenges, including drought, forest fires and poaching. However, history offers encouraging examples of how fig species can be key to tropical forest restoration. After a volcano erupted on Papua New Guinea in 1660, for example, the razed land was fairly quickly recolonized by Ficus species from seeds dropped by birds and bats – a prerequisite for wildlife returning. Similarly, fig trees were all that remained of the forest on Krakatoa after its famous volcanic eruption in 1883.
Building on this precedent, the Forest Restoration Research Unit, based in Thailand, now uses fig species to kickstart the restitution of tropical landscapes; one in every five of their plantings is a fig. Likewise, figs can be used to restore post-mining landscapes and lock up carbon. Researchers are looking into using drones to collect and deposit the seeds.
I’d never realized how often figs show up in the historical record, or how dependent on them we and other creatures have been. “Look after fig trees and they will look after you. It’s a lesson we have all but forgotten, but one we could learn again,” Shanahan concludes. Have a look at the bibliography and you’ll see just how much information is synthesized into this short, engaging book. It’s another gorgeous design from Unbound, too: the colorful cover was what first attracted me, and the author’s black-and-white pointillist illustrations adorn the text.
Nowadays I tend to think of figs as an exotic, luxury food. Every year we add some dried figs to our Christmas cake, creating caramel bursts of crunchy seeds. When my husband and I lived in Reading, we briefly had a LandShare arrangement to look after an established garden. Hidden behind a suburban fence, it was a secret paradise overflowing with fruit: plum, greengage and apple trees plus a fruit cage containing berries, currants, and – in one corner – a small fig. I remember one glorious late summer when we were inundated with more ripe figs than I’d ever seen before. We would heat them in the oven and serve them split open and oozing with goat’s cheese and runny honey. Our very own taste of Eden.
Originally published, with images, on my blog, Bookish Beck.
From that little tree to the largest banyans, Ficus encompasses 750+ species and has had a major place in human culture for millennia. Fig trees turn up in Greek origin myths and are sacred to Hindus. Romulus and Remus were rescued from drowning in the Tiber by fig tree roots. The tree the Buddha sat under to meditate? A fig. The fruit Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden? More likely a fig than an apple given the Middle Eastern climate and the fact that they then sew fig leaves together to cover their nakedness. (The confusion may have come about because in Latin malum means either “apple” or “evil”.)
Figs offer some biological surprises. For one thing, the plants have no apparent flowers. That’s because the flowers are internal: a fig is not technically a fruit but a hollow ball lined with tiny flowers that must be pollinated by two-millimeter-long fig-wasps. Strangler figs colonize a host tree, starting as a seed in the canopy and enveloping it in long tangled roots. Many tropical birds and mammals rely on figs, including monkeys and hornbills. Figs were, Shanahan writes, the “original superfood” for our primate ancestors.
The habitats where fig trees thrive face severe challenges, including drought, forest fires and poaching. However, history offers encouraging examples of how fig species can be key to tropical forest restoration. After a volcano erupted on Papua New Guinea in 1660, for example, the razed land was fairly quickly recolonized by Ficus species from seeds dropped by birds and bats – a prerequisite for wildlife returning. Similarly, fig trees were all that remained of the forest on Krakatoa after its famous volcanic eruption in 1883.
Building on this precedent, the Forest Restoration Research Unit, based in Thailand, now uses fig species to kickstart the restitution of tropical landscapes; one in every five of their plantings is a fig. Likewise, figs can be used to restore post-mining landscapes and lock up carbon. Researchers are looking into using drones to collect and deposit the seeds.
I’d never realized how often figs show up in the historical record, or how dependent on them we and other creatures have been. “Look after fig trees and they will look after you. It’s a lesson we have all but forgotten, but one we could learn again,” Shanahan concludes. Have a look at the bibliography and you’ll see just how much information is synthesized into this short, engaging book. It’s another gorgeous design from Unbound, too: the colorful cover was what first attracted me, and the author’s black-and-white pointillist illustrations adorn the text.
Nowadays I tend to think of figs as an exotic, luxury food. Every year we add some dried figs to our Christmas cake, creating caramel bursts of crunchy seeds. When my husband and I lived in Reading, we briefly had a LandShare arrangement to look after an established garden. Hidden behind a suburban fence, it was a secret paradise overflowing with fruit: plum, greengage and apple trees plus a fruit cage containing berries, currants, and – in one corner – a small fig. I remember one glorious late summer when we were inundated with more ripe figs than I’d ever seen before. We would heat them in the oven and serve them split open and oozing with goat’s cheese and runny honey. Our very own taste of Eden.
Originally published, with images, on my blog, Bookish Beck.
October 9, 2016
There are two ways to title a book - either say what it actually is (the 'does what it says on the tin' approach), or have a nice but totally uninformative title, but give away what it's really about in the subtitle. Mike Shanahan opts for the second approach in this handsome hardback, produced by the Unbound book crowdfunding site. Without knowing it's 'How fig trees shaped our history, fed our imaginations and can enrich our future,' you would be pretty lost. (The US title of 'Gods, Wasps and Stranglers' may leave you even more baffled.)
Shaping history, feeding imaginations and enriching the future are dramatic claims, which seem rather remote if you grew up in those parts of Western Europe where figs are things that come in little boxes and you can go your whole life without seeing a fig tree - but Shanahan makes a compelling case for the significance of the fig and the fig tree in at least the first two of those topics.
There are some genuinely fascinating parts to the book, but sometimes, particularly in the first half, there's a danger of Shanahan becoming a fig tree bore. Doing this kind of crossover book, hovering somewhere science writing and nature writing (which is generally a far more arty, fluffy affair with little or no science involved), is a delicate balance. The Fly Trap does this superbly - in Ladders to Heaven, the approach works most of the time, though occasionally it feels all too much like a sequel to Eat, Pray, Love (though for a nature book, perhaps Eat Prey Live might be more apt).
There is too much myth and mysticism to begin with, but when, for instance, Shanahan tells the story of Corner's botanical monkeys, trained to retrieve figs from the heights of trees, although the writing style is a touch breathless, the storytelling is very effective.
What comes across powerfully is just what amazing organisms fig trees are. I find it difficult to get into the mindset of a botanist, but if you have to study plants, surely these remarkable trees make a case for themselves. Not only do some species encase other trees, which eventually rot away to leave the skeletal fig, and not only do they include that most remarkable tree the banyan among their kind, figs themselves are unique. We're all familiar with the final fruit phase of the fig, but in its early stage it is not a fruit, but a casing for its flowers, which emerge inside the case and can only be fertilised thanks to a symbiotic relationship with a wasp. That's living on the botanical edge, for sure.
So, unlikely though it may seem, reading this book you will discover that 'all you ever wanted to know about figs and fig trees' is not something you find on the back of a matchbox, but makes for a genuinely interesting story. It's not a long book - I read it on a 3 hour train journey - but if you're like me, you will feel you that it was 3 hours well spent. I've never been fond of figs to eat, but I now count myself as an honorary fan of the fig and its trees.
Shaping history, feeding imaginations and enriching the future are dramatic claims, which seem rather remote if you grew up in those parts of Western Europe where figs are things that come in little boxes and you can go your whole life without seeing a fig tree - but Shanahan makes a compelling case for the significance of the fig and the fig tree in at least the first two of those topics.
There are some genuinely fascinating parts to the book, but sometimes, particularly in the first half, there's a danger of Shanahan becoming a fig tree bore. Doing this kind of crossover book, hovering somewhere science writing and nature writing (which is generally a far more arty, fluffy affair with little or no science involved), is a delicate balance. The Fly Trap does this superbly - in Ladders to Heaven, the approach works most of the time, though occasionally it feels all too much like a sequel to Eat, Pray, Love (though for a nature book, perhaps Eat Prey Live might be more apt).
There is too much myth and mysticism to begin with, but when, for instance, Shanahan tells the story of Corner's botanical monkeys, trained to retrieve figs from the heights of trees, although the writing style is a touch breathless, the storytelling is very effective.
What comes across powerfully is just what amazing organisms fig trees are. I find it difficult to get into the mindset of a botanist, but if you have to study plants, surely these remarkable trees make a case for themselves. Not only do some species encase other trees, which eventually rot away to leave the skeletal fig, and not only do they include that most remarkable tree the banyan among their kind, figs themselves are unique. We're all familiar with the final fruit phase of the fig, but in its early stage it is not a fruit, but a casing for its flowers, which emerge inside the case and can only be fertilised thanks to a symbiotic relationship with a wasp. That's living on the botanical edge, for sure.
So, unlikely though it may seem, reading this book you will discover that 'all you ever wanted to know about figs and fig trees' is not something you find on the back of a matchbox, but makes for a genuinely interesting story. It's not a long book - I read it on a 3 hour train journey - but if you're like me, you will feel you that it was 3 hours well spent. I've never been fond of figs to eat, but I now count myself as an honorary fan of the fig and its trees.
July 29, 2019
It is thought that the fig was one of the earliest fruits that were eaten by mankind, but they had probably borrowed the idea from watching monkeys and primates race to the trees to get the best fruits each day. This reliance on the sweet fruits seeped into the culture and religion of humans 5000 years ago, hence why the three Abrahamic faiths consider them important fruits, and the Buddha gained enlightenment whilst meditating in the cage of a Strangler Fig.
Ficus religiosais one of 750 different varieties of this plant. They vary from the shiny leafed and normally unloved houseplant to the huge figs whose roots grow down to the ground after they have rooted in the high branches of other trees. Some encase them and kill off their host, others survive in a mutual balance but they are an essential forest plant, supporting up to 1200 other species that reply of then fruits for food.
One thing that they all have in common though is the way that they flower and fruit. The flowers are not visible, contained within the peduncle and have to be pollinated by a tiny wasp around 2mm in length. Each fig has its own specific wasp that crawls in and out of the fruit and if they are not around they there is no pollination. Except the Ancient Egyptians discovered a way of tricking the tree into thinking it had been pollinated.
Until now I had never really given two figs about the fig. Their history, their importance as a food, and the significance that they have had in all sorts of historical events and the way that we intertwine ourselves with figs and the tiny wasps that pollinate them is the untold story of our age. I really enjoyed this fascinating book by Shanahan as it is written from his direct experiences as a biologist seeking out these important trees. If there was tiny flaw though, I felt it was too short, it felt like there were chunks missing from the European history and culture and maybe a little more on the benefits of them as a food stuff. It was a shame because what Shanahan has written in here was really good. One last tip, if you are not sure about them, having suffered fig rolls perhaps, bake them for around 20 minutes and serve with a little mascarpone.
Ficus religiosais one of 750 different varieties of this plant. They vary from the shiny leafed and normally unloved houseplant to the huge figs whose roots grow down to the ground after they have rooted in the high branches of other trees. Some encase them and kill off their host, others survive in a mutual balance but they are an essential forest plant, supporting up to 1200 other species that reply of then fruits for food.
One thing that they all have in common though is the way that they flower and fruit. The flowers are not visible, contained within the peduncle and have to be pollinated by a tiny wasp around 2mm in length. Each fig has its own specific wasp that crawls in and out of the fruit and if they are not around they there is no pollination. Except the Ancient Egyptians discovered a way of tricking the tree into thinking it had been pollinated.
Until now I had never really given two figs about the fig. Their history, their importance as a food, and the significance that they have had in all sorts of historical events and the way that we intertwine ourselves with figs and the tiny wasps that pollinate them is the untold story of our age. I really enjoyed this fascinating book by Shanahan as it is written from his direct experiences as a biologist seeking out these important trees. If there was tiny flaw though, I felt it was too short, it felt like there were chunks missing from the European history and culture and maybe a little more on the benefits of them as a food stuff. It was a shame because what Shanahan has written in here was really good. One last tip, if you are not sure about them, having suffered fig rolls perhaps, bake them for around 20 minutes and serve with a little mascarpone.
February 11, 2018
*Very* informative and engagingly written. I took notes as I was reading, and some elements I definitely want to read more about (and some I want to use in stories of my own). You come away from the book not only in awe of figs (and Nature, and biodiversity), but also energized and with your curiosity whetted.
NOTE: I got an e-version of the British version of the book but it's published in the United States as Gods, Wasps, and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees.
NOTE: I got an e-version of the British version of the book but it's published in the United States as Gods, Wasps, and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees.
October 28, 2017
Happened to hear about this book on You Bet Your Garden on NPR. It was not only educational (I learned so much about fig trees... I had no idea) and it was written in such a interesting way... like a fictional story.
June 11, 2017
What an interesting book! Who knew the story of figs could be so interesting. I have been reading out little nuggets of information to whomever would listen to me! I highly recommend it.
August 28, 2018
I'm always looking to read more non-fiction books, and if they were all written like this one with so much detail and an engaging style of writing then I don't think I'd pick up another fiction book again!
Who knew Fig trees could be so interesting?! I didn't for sure and was surprised by how much I found myself involved in the story of how a simple tree could affect so much over the years. The author has grouped information together in a really accessible way and gives a real insight into so many aspects of the importance that the simple Fig tree has played in our history as humans and the role it has played in various times in history.
The author uses a lot of his own experiences through travel to bring a real enthusiasm to the subject and puts things into context that is easy to understand and relate to. Many periods of history are covered, alongside the role of figs in various religions and bringing it up to date with the role of climate change and how that, alongside the behaviour of humans, is affecting the Fig population now. He also looks at how the trees can help us in the future and how they've been here a lot longer to us and are much more important than we think a humble tree can be with the amount of life they help sustain. It also looked into the men who have studied figs over the years and how it became an obsession for them, to the point that their families suffered.
I was so ignorant to the story of Figs and I loved how this book has set me straight and taught me so much! I'm a tree hugger by nature but have learnt so much through this book that I'm even now trying to work out where I could put a Fig tree in the garden! The book also contains a number of illustrations which adds another dimension to the book, and it's another reason as to why the Unbound publishing creation is such an important one so that books like these can be created and shared.
A wonderfully informative read!!
Who knew Fig trees could be so interesting?! I didn't for sure and was surprised by how much I found myself involved in the story of how a simple tree could affect so much over the years. The author has grouped information together in a really accessible way and gives a real insight into so many aspects of the importance that the simple Fig tree has played in our history as humans and the role it has played in various times in history.
The author uses a lot of his own experiences through travel to bring a real enthusiasm to the subject and puts things into context that is easy to understand and relate to. Many periods of history are covered, alongside the role of figs in various religions and bringing it up to date with the role of climate change and how that, alongside the behaviour of humans, is affecting the Fig population now. He also looks at how the trees can help us in the future and how they've been here a lot longer to us and are much more important than we think a humble tree can be with the amount of life they help sustain. It also looked into the men who have studied figs over the years and how it became an obsession for them, to the point that their families suffered.
I was so ignorant to the story of Figs and I loved how this book has set me straight and taught me so much! I'm a tree hugger by nature but have learnt so much through this book that I'm even now trying to work out where I could put a Fig tree in the garden! The book also contains a number of illustrations which adds another dimension to the book, and it's another reason as to why the Unbound publishing creation is such an important one so that books like these can be created and shared.
A wonderfully informative read!!
December 29, 2016
Thoroughly researched and beautifully presented. I am left with a newfound appreciation for fig trees! Also - the book is beautifully designed. A good read!
May 5, 2021
In Gods, Wasps and Stranglers, Mike Shanahan explores the ubiquity of fig tree species across continents, along with their prominent place in various spiritual and cultural traditions. He also relates many of the remarkable qualities of ficus species, from the self-contained-forest banyans of India, to the strangler figs that germinate up high in existing trees and send down aerial roots, gradually taking over the host tree. In addition, the book discusses fig trees’ powerful capacity to create habitat, support biodiversity, control erosion, and offset carbon emissions. Ultimately, Shanahan concludes that fig trees, as unique and hardy framework species, may hold the key to reforestation efforts around the world.
This little book is fascinating. Going in I hadn’t even understood that all fig trees belong to the genus ficus, including your humble ficus houseplant. I didn’t know that fig trees were found on every continent that has trees, or how culturally and ecologically important they are. (Side note: I also learned that the perfume I wear, Philosykos, means “fig lovers” and that the term once referred to citizens of Athens.) Gods, Wasps and Stranglers is the rare popular science book that actually left me feeling hopeful about the possibility of curbing climate change before it’s too late—and by “rare,” I mean only. I especially liked Shanahan’s conclusion, in which he suggests appealing not only to scientific ways of thinking, but also to cultural, literary, and religious tradition, in the name of tapping into the power of ficus to heal our planet.
This little book is fascinating. Going in I hadn’t even understood that all fig trees belong to the genus ficus, including your humble ficus houseplant. I didn’t know that fig trees were found on every continent that has trees, or how culturally and ecologically important they are. (Side note: I also learned that the perfume I wear, Philosykos, means “fig lovers” and that the term once referred to citizens of Athens.) Gods, Wasps and Stranglers is the rare popular science book that actually left me feeling hopeful about the possibility of curbing climate change before it’s too late—and by “rare,” I mean only. I especially liked Shanahan’s conclusion, in which he suggests appealing not only to scientific ways of thinking, but also to cultural, literary, and religious tradition, in the name of tapping into the power of ficus to heal our planet.
November 9, 2020
Comes very highly recommended, but for me not a stand out in science writing. The competent author is indeed an expert, and knows lots about botany - and figs of course (the stranglers of the title). He has chosen to expand to book length with what might have best been a long piece on fig botany by adding in figs in history and religion. These parts were tedious for me.
I did enjoy the last chapter about using figs for biodiversity repair, could have gone for a lot more of that.
Bottom line, I'm glad my kids planted a fig tree in their garden. It looks pretty sketchy at the moment, but nice to know it's sending down roots, and is a lynchpin species.
I did enjoy the last chapter about using figs for biodiversity repair, could have gone for a lot more of that.
Bottom line, I'm glad my kids planted a fig tree in their garden. It looks pretty sketchy at the moment, but nice to know it's sending down roots, and is a lynchpin species.
November 28, 2025
Interesting enough but often repetitious and could have really benefited from actual photographs or other/varied illustrations
June 8, 2019
I read this in one day and am eager to plant a fig tree ASAP. The symbiotic relationship between figs and fig wasps is nothing short of amazing. The vast variety & range of the genus ficus is impressive. The pivotal position of ficus in reversing deforestation is the most hopeful thing I’ve read in a long time.
Exciting science writing made very accessible & understandable. Highly recommended.
Exciting science writing made very accessible & understandable. Highly recommended.
July 26, 2020
This book is fascinating! I recommend this one to all humans of the earth. You will never think all trees are equal again. The ficus tree is the “great tree” of our planet.
June 12, 2019
You might also enjoy:
✱ Lab Girl (highly recommended)
✱ The Hidden Life of Trees (highly recommended)
✱ A Naturalist at Large
✱ The Trees in My Forest
✱ Our Native Bees: North America's Endangered Pollinators
✱ The Revolutionary Genius of Plants
✱ In Search of the Canary Tree
✱ The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
✱ The Forest Unseen
✱ Lab Girl (highly recommended)
✱ The Hidden Life of Trees (highly recommended)
✱ A Naturalist at Large
✱ The Trees in My Forest
✱ Our Native Bees: North America's Endangered Pollinators
✱ The Revolutionary Genius of Plants
✱ In Search of the Canary Tree
✱ The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
✱ The Forest Unseen
September 18, 2022
A really good book on figs, their unique and their interesting lock-in relationship with wasps, the role they play as keystone species, and how they are revered in folklore across many cultures, and how they help recolonize dead landscapes, even in the aftermath of such violence as the krakatoa explosion.
The book also talks about how they're being used in reforestation efforts, where the ficus serves as anchor species to reforest areas rendered almost dead by human activity.
Also loved the stories intervowen beautifully, really liked the layout and flow of the book, and the editing is spot on. A page turner indeed!
Ficus religiosa, or the peepal, appears in seals of the Harappan culture, and figs were also likely eaten by our ape ancestors. We find the reverence for the fig across cultures. As the author says, let's hope we are able to recover our connect with nature and preserve them, four our own sakes.
The book also talks about how they're being used in reforestation efforts, where the ficus serves as anchor species to reforest areas rendered almost dead by human activity.
Also loved the stories intervowen beautifully, really liked the layout and flow of the book, and the editing is spot on. A page turner indeed!
Ficus religiosa, or the peepal, appears in seals of the Harappan culture, and figs were also likely eaten by our ape ancestors. We find the reverence for the fig across cultures. As the author says, let's hope we are able to recover our connect with nature and preserve them, four our own sakes.
October 29, 2022
Five stars, or 10 or 20. This is a marvelous book about time, history, conservation, and figs. Read it! I guarantee that you will surely learn something and it will cheer you up. Plus, it is a beautiful, short book with illustrations by the author and it is written with great passion. Apparently I picked up a remaindered copy, probably because, in part, I liked the color scheme and cover design. So I am doing just what a fig tree does when its fruit attracts birds and mammals to pollinate and disperse…
February 23, 2024
Okay so, this book was very well written and gave planet earth vibes. I never knew how integral figs were to the major religions and history of lands, as well as tribes today who even marry fig trees. I learned SO much. However, there were times where the onslaught on constant information lost me, making it hard to focus for certain chapters. Very educational, but for me could’ve included more personal narratives to help it feel more like a story
August 7, 2017
Communicating science to a general audience, I feel, is an art.
Story-telling, which is a way to communicate ideas and values is considered to be done in three styles from where I come. Firstly there are the scriptures that communicate to the listener as a teacher communicates to the student. Then there are mythological stories, which imbue closeness and the style of communication is that of a parent to an offspring. Epics and literature in general are most special and most effective because they communicate like a couple in love.
Literature, I believe has a mix of these styles and more. Sometimes they preach, and at other times they teach, appeal, cajole, entreat, or use any useful ploy to effectively impart an idea. But story-telling is at the center of all these.
Mike Shanahan, apart from all his credible experience as a biologist and scientist, seems to me a natural story-teller, and is endowed with a wonderful writing style. His language is elegant yet simple, and draws one into a highly attentive trance. Apart from the thrilling personal experiences or stories of awe he carefully includes at the beginning of each chapter in order to lure us, his language itself makes sure that we "fall headlong into a fascinating story" just as we read it. He makes sure that he has our rapt attention and then gently delivers specks of science in small and palatable dosages.
In what is supposed to be a non-detailed, abridged version of a doctoral thesis on the subject of the genus called ficus - the fig, there is a lot to talk about form! I am a sucker for form, and it is form for me that acts as a segue into content. And form is what makes this most endearing, unputdownable, and a wonderful reading experience.
Enough about form.
Mike has traveled wide and far in search of the fig trees, researched extensively on areas within and outside of science / biology. Like exploring the mystic, mythological, and historical associations of figs, their contribution to evolution of species, how the many different varieties have sustained themselves through diverse ways, and many more interesting facts and tidbits. He even mentions the Tamil saying (that is farther than the "farthest Hebrides" for an Englishman to wander!) that is attributed to fig, that finally unraveled the real meaning of it for me - that figs don't flower! All these and more, make this a worthy read.
But I want to talk about two things. One is a very humbling feeling that deeply moved me, and the other is a promise of hope!
The story of the relationship between the figs and their pollinators is the most dramatic and fascinating one that I have ever come across. The tiny fig wasps (only a few millimeters long) seem to live a life of great purpose and sacrifice! It has been said many times before, but humankind is indeed the only species that hopes to flourish by exploiting, abusing, and destroying the very environment it thrives in. Then, there are these seemingly insignificant beings, the wasps, that live in a very close, symbiotic relationship with the fig. In its short span of life, the wasp procreates, helps life sustenance for a diverse range of species by pollinating (willingly, as Mike records, by taking a load of pollen) figs, and dies in pride and valor! The male fig wasp dies as soon as it emerges from the fig, and it so emerges only to make way for the females to crawl out without their wings clipped. They so emerge to a certain death, and with no other purpose to get out other than create a safe passage for the females. The females crawl out and fly as long as 80 kilometers before they force their way into a fig to lay eggs and die inside the fig (the corpse digested by the fig). This is truly mind-boggling and quite remarkable! What an amazing phenomenon! That one form of life that humans could write-off as lowly and insignificant is the one that we must revere for our own redemption! Could the human race in any way justify its sense of entitlement to this planet? This moved me to tears, and my resolve to live a useful life only got stronger.
And then the hope...
Figs, as we understand from Mike's book, have all along been companions to the human race, nourishing and sustaining it all through, and evolving and rediscovering ways of existence. What is wonderful about this is the regenerative effect that it has on its environment and ecosystem! The fig feeds and shelters a wide variety of diverse species from plants, to insects, to animals, to birds. It symbolizes and epitomizes the idea of symbiotic existence - to live and let live, to flourish and let flourish! To be useful in some way to the environment and the ecosystem that supports you. It shows, as it has shown for many many years that this is the way to sustainable living.
And hence, figs could be pivotal to the regenerative initiatives that are undertaken across the world to revive ecosystems, to halt the extinction of species, and perhaps even to revive lost species!! Figs are the 'framework' species that can, over time have this regenerative effect. Perhaps there was a reason why this species was so revered and respected and considered sacred.
For it is truly, the tree of life!
Story-telling, which is a way to communicate ideas and values is considered to be done in three styles from where I come. Firstly there are the scriptures that communicate to the listener as a teacher communicates to the student. Then there are mythological stories, which imbue closeness and the style of communication is that of a parent to an offspring. Epics and literature in general are most special and most effective because they communicate like a couple in love.
Literature, I believe has a mix of these styles and more. Sometimes they preach, and at other times they teach, appeal, cajole, entreat, or use any useful ploy to effectively impart an idea. But story-telling is at the center of all these.
Mike Shanahan, apart from all his credible experience as a biologist and scientist, seems to me a natural story-teller, and is endowed with a wonderful writing style. His language is elegant yet simple, and draws one into a highly attentive trance. Apart from the thrilling personal experiences or stories of awe he carefully includes at the beginning of each chapter in order to lure us, his language itself makes sure that we "fall headlong into a fascinating story" just as we read it. He makes sure that he has our rapt attention and then gently delivers specks of science in small and palatable dosages.
In what is supposed to be a non-detailed, abridged version of a doctoral thesis on the subject of the genus called ficus - the fig, there is a lot to talk about form! I am a sucker for form, and it is form for me that acts as a segue into content. And form is what makes this most endearing, unputdownable, and a wonderful reading experience.
Enough about form.
Mike has traveled wide and far in search of the fig trees, researched extensively on areas within and outside of science / biology. Like exploring the mystic, mythological, and historical associations of figs, their contribution to evolution of species, how the many different varieties have sustained themselves through diverse ways, and many more interesting facts and tidbits. He even mentions the Tamil saying (that is farther than the "farthest Hebrides" for an Englishman to wander!) that is attributed to fig, that finally unraveled the real meaning of it for me - that figs don't flower! All these and more, make this a worthy read.
But I want to talk about two things. One is a very humbling feeling that deeply moved me, and the other is a promise of hope!
The story of the relationship between the figs and their pollinators is the most dramatic and fascinating one that I have ever come across. The tiny fig wasps (only a few millimeters long) seem to live a life of great purpose and sacrifice! It has been said many times before, but humankind is indeed the only species that hopes to flourish by exploiting, abusing, and destroying the very environment it thrives in. Then, there are these seemingly insignificant beings, the wasps, that live in a very close, symbiotic relationship with the fig. In its short span of life, the wasp procreates, helps life sustenance for a diverse range of species by pollinating (willingly, as Mike records, by taking a load of pollen) figs, and dies in pride and valor! The male fig wasp dies as soon as it emerges from the fig, and it so emerges only to make way for the females to crawl out without their wings clipped. They so emerge to a certain death, and with no other purpose to get out other than create a safe passage for the females. The females crawl out and fly as long as 80 kilometers before they force their way into a fig to lay eggs and die inside the fig (the corpse digested by the fig). This is truly mind-boggling and quite remarkable! What an amazing phenomenon! That one form of life that humans could write-off as lowly and insignificant is the one that we must revere for our own redemption! Could the human race in any way justify its sense of entitlement to this planet? This moved me to tears, and my resolve to live a useful life only got stronger.
And then the hope...
Figs, as we understand from Mike's book, have all along been companions to the human race, nourishing and sustaining it all through, and evolving and rediscovering ways of existence. What is wonderful about this is the regenerative effect that it has on its environment and ecosystem! The fig feeds and shelters a wide variety of diverse species from plants, to insects, to animals, to birds. It symbolizes and epitomizes the idea of symbiotic existence - to live and let live, to flourish and let flourish! To be useful in some way to the environment and the ecosystem that supports you. It shows, as it has shown for many many years that this is the way to sustainable living.
And hence, figs could be pivotal to the regenerative initiatives that are undertaken across the world to revive ecosystems, to halt the extinction of species, and perhaps even to revive lost species!! Figs are the 'framework' species that can, over time have this regenerative effect. Perhaps there was a reason why this species was so revered and respected and considered sacred.
For it is truly, the tree of life!
July 29, 2021
The title says it all. It's a fascinating look at how fig trees (the tree in the Garden of Eden was likely a fig tree) have influenced our earth and our history. Could fig trees help to reverse climate change? I hope so!
May 14, 2020
I love the passion about figs! He gives many figs. I was on the edge of my seat hearing about how figs impact culture, religion, science, and the environment.
September 10, 2018
Sometimes a book takes you by surprise and takes you to places you didn’t know existed and offers information you never knew you needed to know. In Ladders to Heaven the author, with great enthusiasm and knowledge, leads us through the fascinating subject of fig trees and of their utmost importance to our planet’s ecological stability. Over 750 species of ficus are known to exist with more being discovered all the time and their relevance to our environment cannot be overstated.
The author writes with great authority on the subject and it is obvious that he cares deeply about the impact that the loss of this giant species would have on our bio network if ever they were lost. Over the course of the book and almost without realising it I developed huge sympathy for fig trees and read in fascination at the diverse eco-system they maintain, in particular. the plight of the fig-wasp who must have the perfect conditions before the female can make her perilous journey to lay eggs in the Ficus Sycomorus. The successful outcome of this pairing ensures the survival of many animals and helps to sustain the future of our rain forests.
Scattered throughout the book are stark but beautiful black and white line drawing illustrations which add a real gift to the narrative and allow a pictorial glimpse into the secret world of fig trees.
I found the book really relatable and enjoyed each chapter as it unearthed more fascinating facts and snippets of information, particularly about the importance of fig trees, not just how they have contributed to the well-being of our planet for millions of years and how they will, with the right environment, continue to do so for many more years to come.
The author writes with great authority on the subject and it is obvious that he cares deeply about the impact that the loss of this giant species would have on our bio network if ever they were lost. Over the course of the book and almost without realising it I developed huge sympathy for fig trees and read in fascination at the diverse eco-system they maintain, in particular. the plight of the fig-wasp who must have the perfect conditions before the female can make her perilous journey to lay eggs in the Ficus Sycomorus. The successful outcome of this pairing ensures the survival of many animals and helps to sustain the future of our rain forests.
Scattered throughout the book are stark but beautiful black and white line drawing illustrations which add a real gift to the narrative and allow a pictorial glimpse into the secret world of fig trees.
I found the book really relatable and enjoyed each chapter as it unearthed more fascinating facts and snippets of information, particularly about the importance of fig trees, not just how they have contributed to the well-being of our planet for millions of years and how they will, with the right environment, continue to do so for many more years to come.
October 21, 2018
Human-impacted Climate change, deforestation, and global warming are occurring at an unprecedented rate, Fragmenting forests and shrinking habitats for many non-human creatures and yet the solution may lie by addressing the root of the strangler fig with respect and reverence, which cultures the world over have done during different points in time!
A thoroughly well researched and beautiful book with gorgeously stippled drawings of the world of fig trees. The importance of fig trees to humans from the dawn of human evolution to shaping the recent past has been enumerated wonderfully. The author having studied fig trees himself paints a marvelous picture of the life and times of the fig tree, which is important not just in the restoration of forests but also in connecting humanity and securing our future and that of our fragile planet!
A must read if you are a science non-fiction reader or a tree hugger or just happen to have a fig in your living room or in that fruit bowl!!
A thoroughly well researched and beautiful book with gorgeously stippled drawings of the world of fig trees. The importance of fig trees to humans from the dawn of human evolution to shaping the recent past has been enumerated wonderfully. The author having studied fig trees himself paints a marvelous picture of the life and times of the fig tree, which is important not just in the restoration of forests but also in connecting humanity and securing our future and that of our fragile planet!
A must read if you are a science non-fiction reader or a tree hugger or just happen to have a fig in your living room or in that fruit bowl!!
August 27, 2018
This is a fascinating read; an incredibly detailed but accessible and engaging account of the mysteries of fig trees and their special relationship with humanity.
I'll be completely honest I had never really given much thought to figs, or where they came from. I recall being handed a bunch of them to try by a lovely Greek taverna owner in Zante, and that I ate them all, which later proved to not be my best decision (related - figs are great if you suffer a sluggish gut, not so great if you have IBS of an overactive tendency) but that's about it. What an education this book was!
I initially was interested in reviewing this book once I read the synopsis; it opened up my curiosity as to what could be so special about figs that a biologist would want to dedicate their life to them, and be able to launch such a successful Unbound campaign to fund publication of this book? Spoiler alert, so many special things!
I truly recommend picking up a copy of this to unearth for yourself the secrets that figs hold: the codependence of their existence with the fig wasp, the truth behind the 'flowerless fruit', the fact that there are over 750 varieties of fig trees with surprising patterns of growth; there is much to learn and understand.
"Fig trees have been on earth 80 million years longer than humans. They have seen off asteroid impacts and climate change that wiped out millions of other species. Their story reminds us that we are just new here and that between our kisses, our fights, our struggles and our smiles, we tend to break things before we realise how much we need them. It's a story that tells us much about where we have come from and where we might go from here"
This book would appeal to anyone with an interest in trees, nature, evolution, biology but also those interested in bridging science with other concerns such as theology, ethics, environmentalism, and anthropology. It's delivered in chapters that provide Planet Earth style elucidation on the fascinating and captivating examples and anecdotes of these trees and by the end you feel an entirely new found respect for the humble fig.
Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Thing Tours for providing me with a free copy of the book to review honestly in my own words.
Read more of my reviews at https://beereaderbooks.wordpress.com/
July 28, 2019
This was a quick, interesting read about the significance of all the various fig species in human culture and the significance of fig plants for the environment. The only downside to this book is that while reading it, I kept getting cravings for fig bars and figs. The author starts with the various ways fig trees have appeared in human myths and religious symbolism in many cultures. He then discusses the surprising natural history of figs and how fig trees are especially useful in helping re-establish tropical forests. I got some ideas for helping reforestation projects in Kenya as well as learned a lot of interesting things about figs. This is short and keeps one's interest despite the limited subject.
May 2, 2019
good book - everyone should plant a fig tree
after reading this I will try to be a little more tolerant of the cardinals who always seem to beat me to the fruit 2 days before the figs will be ripe enough for me to harvest - since I do all the work of pruning, watering, fertilizing, etc, they could at least leave me the larger share of the harvest ;-)
after reading this I will try to be a little more tolerant of the cardinals who always seem to beat me to the fruit 2 days before the figs will be ripe enough for me to harvest - since I do all the work of pruning, watering, fertilizing, etc, they could at least leave me the larger share of the harvest ;-)
January 16, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Tropical ecology expert Mike explores biology, ecology, culture, and society through the lens of a ficus tree. The writing is light, engaging, and uplifting—qualities that are surprisingly rare in modern ecology books. If you want to learn something new while genuinely enjoying the reading experience, this is an excellent choice.
February 22, 2017
Who knew that fig trees could do so many things and support so much life? The writing isn't great, but the book is interesting and offers some hope in our changing climate.
August 7, 2020
Its not often i read a book that is this full of useful information and this well written. A real page turner in the way that so many single topic non fiction books aren't. It is a peach of a book, about figs.
The only downside to a book this good is that when it is finished you will never get to read it for the first time again.
The only downside to a book this good is that when it is finished you will never get to read it for the first time again.
June 20, 2019
An often-lyrical look at the incredible variety of fig trees and how they've shaped civilizations, folklore, religion and the earth itself. Mike Shanahan demonstrates that figs might be instrumental in battling climate change, deforestation and the loss of wildlife. Very approachable and readable, even for lay people. Read this book, and then plant your own fig tree.
July 13, 2021
I loved this fascinating history of fig trees! Who knew they could be so interesting? Shanahan's writing is so engaging that I felt I was there, too - dangling from a tree in Borneo. I learned a lot! Not just random facts about fig trees, but their importance to cultures around the world and the potential they have to restore damaged ecosystems. Highly recommend to any biology/ecology friends or anyone who's just curious about trees!
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