Tracking Giants
Big Trees, Tiny Triumphs, and Misadventures in the Forest
Published on 3. August 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-77164-673-4 (ISBN)
Description
"I learned, I laughed, I sighed, I swooned. What an absolutely delightful romp through the forest."-Kate Harris, author of Lands of Lost Borders
"Intimate, open-hearted. . . A personal introduction to one of the most profoundly alive places on earth."-John Vaillant, author of The Golden Spruce
A funny, deeply relatable book about one woman's quest to track some of the world's biggest trees.
Amanda Lewis was an overachieving, burned-out book editor most familiar with trees as dead blocks of paper. A dedicated "indoorswoman," she could barely tell a birch from a beech. But that didn't stop her from pledging to visit all of the biggest trees in British Columbia, a Canadian province known for its rugged terrain and gigantic trees.
The "Champion" trees on Lewis's ambitious list ranged from mighty Western red cedars to towering arbutus. They lived on remote islands and at the center of dense forests. The only problem? Well, there were many. . .
Climate change and a pandemic aside, Lewis's lack of wilderness experience, the upsetting reality of old-growth logging, the ever-changing nature of trees, and the pressures of her one-year timeframe complicated her quest. Burned out again-and realizing that her "checklist" approach to life might be the problem-she reframed her search for trees to something humbler and more meaningful: getting to know forests in an interconnected way.
Weaving in insights from writers and artists, Lewis uncovers what we're really after when we pursue the big things-revealing that sometimes it's the smaller joys, the mindsets we have, and the companions we're with that make us feel more connected to the natural world.
"Intimate, open-hearted. . . A personal introduction to one of the most profoundly alive places on earth."-John Vaillant, author of The Golden Spruce
A funny, deeply relatable book about one woman's quest to track some of the world's biggest trees.
Amanda Lewis was an overachieving, burned-out book editor most familiar with trees as dead blocks of paper. A dedicated "indoorswoman," she could barely tell a birch from a beech. But that didn't stop her from pledging to visit all of the biggest trees in British Columbia, a Canadian province known for its rugged terrain and gigantic trees.
The "Champion" trees on Lewis's ambitious list ranged from mighty Western red cedars to towering arbutus. They lived on remote islands and at the center of dense forests. The only problem? Well, there were many. . .
Climate change and a pandemic aside, Lewis's lack of wilderness experience, the upsetting reality of old-growth logging, the ever-changing nature of trees, and the pressures of her one-year timeframe complicated her quest. Burned out again-and realizing that her "checklist" approach to life might be the problem-she reframed her search for trees to something humbler and more meaningful: getting to know forests in an interconnected way.
Weaving in insights from writers and artists, Lewis uncovers what we're really after when we pursue the big things-revealing that sometimes it's the smaller joys, the mindsets we have, and the companions we're with that make us feel more connected to the natural world.
Reviews / Votes
"Spiked with wit, self-deprecating humour, and a bright, light-beam approach to philosophy, Tracking Giants is dotted with beautiful descriptive passages and local tree history. . . Anyone who reads this book will find themselves looking at trees in a new way, searching the sky for their crowns, and will marvel at not just their beauty, but their necessity."-Quill & Quire
"A towering forest-bath of a book, lush with insight, humor, and wisdom on living a happy, interconnected life. I loved this book!"
-Carol Shaben, award-winning author of Into the Abyss
"Fresh, funny, and bursting with vivid detail, Tracking Giants chases trees that can seem as elusive and enigmatic as the snow leopard. This is a quest that questions quests, a journey through forests of the land and mind-and one hell of a good time in the woods that we all depend on."
-J.B. MacKinnon, author of The Day the World Stops Shopping
"Tracking Giants is a book of arboreal delights, wisdoms, and many voices that reminds us of the value of slowing down and learning how to see the forest for the trees. You won't want to miss out on this road trip with Amanda Lewis at the wheel, bombing down forestry backroads with the Beastie Boys blasting, bushwhacking in the pursuit of rooted bigness, and ultimately getting lost and found in the beauty of small. Tracking Giants is the road trip without the map, the fascinating new friends you pick up along the way. Get in. Celebrating our arboreal Champions-both huge and small-has never been so much fun."
-Trina Moyles, author of Lookout: Love, Solitude, and Searching for Wildfire in the Boreal Forest
"I'd follow Amanda Lewis into the woods any day for more hilarious misadventures of a big-tree hunter. In her quest to track British Columbia's Champion trees, she reminds us all to slow the fuck down, let go of expectation, and connect with this planet's wonders, big and small. Oh, and to always pack snacks. Tracking Giants left me enchanted, informed, and chuckling."
-Adria Vasil, bestselling author of the Ecoholic series
"In this intimate, open-hearted book of journeys and quests, Amanda Lewis gathers the wisdom of the woods in all its beauty and peril. Tracking Giants is, at its heart, a guide to seeing and being in the world. For those from away, it will also be a personal introduction to one of the most profoundly alive places on earth. For those who live in the Pacific Northwest, it offers the humbling and illuminating experience of being reintroduced to a place you thought you knew well."
-John Vaillant, award-winning author of The Golden Spruce
"Absolutely engrossing. In Tracking Giants, Amanda Lewis takes us down forest paths that we'll never want to leave, and gives us new friends in Champion trees. Along the way we're introduced to the tree species that tower above the Pacific Northwest, which we encounter through history and art and expert botanical voices. On top of that, Tracking Giants is laced with humor. Clearly, Lewis is the perfect hiking companion!"
-Lyndsie Bourgon, author of Tree Thieves
"Is Tracking Giants an adventure story or a cautionary tale? A critique of pure ambition or a celebration of growth? Maybe it's a portal to the forests of British Columbia, or an invitation to develop a relationship with that crabapple tree down the street. It may be a gentle reminder that music makes everything better, or that love is another word for attention. Who knows? All we can say for sure is what Amanda Lewis gets-that good stories are like wild forests: impossible to classify, and awfully fun to get lost in."
-Arno Kopecky, award-winning author of The Environmentalist's Dilemma
"Tracking Giants is a rich and leafy exploration of all things arboreal. Through her quest to visit all of British Columbia's Champion trees, Amanda Lewis has written her way deep into the heartwood of humans' intimate connection with our irreplaceable forests."
-Michael Christie, author of Greenwood
"A delightful and enlightening journey into the woods... Amanda Lewis treads so softly here, with wit and color, with care and passion, in an intimate exploration of how nature's magnificent expressions, regardless of size or title, hold enormous capacity to inspire."
-Harley Rustad, author of Big Lonely Doug and Lost in the Valley of Death
Generous, self-deprecating, and wise, this entertaining, informative, and inspiring book shows us that if a tree grows or falls in the forest, we need to listen-there are so many reasons why it might fall. It teaches us to see the forest and the trees, to navigate through the thicket of the modern world and ultimately to find ways to care for ourselves and our planet."
-Gary Barwin, bestselling author of Yiddish for Pirates and Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted
"This is a wonderful truant of a book about our relationship with trees, with the precarious earth, with our own unchecked ambition. It begins as a simple solo quest to track some of the world's biggest trees and emerges as a gorgeous manifesto for plotting a different course entirely. The timing of this book-with its wide roots and radical shoots-is just right."
-Kyo Maclear, author of Birds Art Life
"What an absolutely delightful romp through the forest, delivered with verve, joy, humility, determination, and grace... I love this hilarious, heartfelt book and its quirky quest."
-Kate Harris, author of Lands of Lost Borders
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Canada
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
B&W Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
308 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77164-673-4 (9781771646734)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2023
Greystone Books
€18.49
Available for download
Persons
Amanda Lewisis a big-tree tracker and an award-winning book editor. Born in Dublin, Ireland, she now divides her time between the internet and a small island in British Columbia, Canada. Tracking Giants is her first book. Visit her at amandalewis.org.
Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a botanist and medical biochemist whose work uniquely combines western scientific thinking and the traditional concepts of the ancient world. Her most recent book is To Speak for the Trees: My Life's Journey From Ancient Celtic Wisdom to a Healing Vision of the Forest.
Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a botanist and medical biochemist whose work uniquely combines western scientific thinking and the traditional concepts of the ancient world. Her most recent book is To Speak for the Trees: My Life's Journey From Ancient Celtic Wisdom to a Healing Vision of the Forest.