Even though this audio book is abridged, it's still 5 CDs and contains a lot of detail.

Hidden away in foggy, uncharted rain forest valleys in Northern California are the largest and tallest organisms the world has ever sustained–the coast redwood trees, Sequoia sempervirens. Ninety-six percent of the ancient redwood forests have been destroyed by logging, but the untouched fragments that remain are among the great wonders of nature. The biggest redwoods have trunks up to thirty feet wide and can rise more than thirty-five stories above the ground, forming cathedral-like structures in the air. Until recently, redwoods were thought to be virtually impossible to ascend, and the canopy at the tops of these majestic trees was undiscovered. In The Wild Trees, Richard Preston unfolds the spellbinding story of Steve Sillett, Marie Antoine, and the tiny group of daring botanists and amateur naturalists that found a lost world above California, a world that is dangerous, hauntingly beautiful, and unexplored.

This book is about the trees themselves and about the people who climb and explore them. We get to know many people personally who are fascinated by the redwoods. One at a time, then some of them meet in various ways through their interest in the redwood trees.

Of course, I enjoyed the chapter that describes the salamanders, because I'm always fascinated by salamanders.

This book makes you more passionate about the redwoods and their preservation. Their beauty is fascinating. At one point in the book, they're taking a National Geographic crew (film crew, I think) to one of the remote groves of trees. I'll have to see if I can find the film or article they made to see pictures of this beauty.

I'm sending this book to erishkigal who chose it from iwillrejoice's Audiobook VBB.

I hope you enjoy the book as much as my husband and I did. Happy reading!

And it's here! Thanks so much for offering this~~I really look forward to listening. I would love to get back to visit the redwoods again~~they are so magical! But for now, I must make do with sitting against a Ponderosa in the park (amazing scented bark: some like vanilla, or cherry, or chocolate), and the occasional trip to visit the ancient Bristlecone pines~~small, gnarly, and incredibly old. Ok, neither of those are ''making do;'' each is wonderous in it's own right :D

I hate that I am so bad about journalling right after reading. Or in this case listening. Iwould guess it's been 18 -24 months since I listened to this. I remember thinking about this quite awhile afterwords, so much so that I really did think I had journalled. I loved this book.. Oh, there was a fair amount where I was not at all impressed with the writing, but that quickly became irrelevant as I was so taken with the subject. And amazed. And astounded. Seriously, I had no idea!!! Entire ecosystems in the redwood canopy~~ Huckleberry bushes, Rhododendrons, Laurel trees, Hemlocks, Spruce trees, all growing on the giant redwood.

I didn't find a fil, LittleWhiteBird, but if you did/do, please post it here!
Thanks for sharing this!

A very different "wild thing," but we consider them our one-legged relations. These Standing Ones are about to travel in the WILD THINGS bookbox!

So glad to find an audiobook in the box, and a nonfiction one at that. I have long commutes so I really gobble up audio books, but as more people, and even, the library, turn to e-audio downloads, it's harder to find them now.

I remember visiting the redwood forest soon after I came to the U.S., many years ago, and being awed by those giants.

And I have to chuckle at erishkigal's comment. I too, sometimes mentally compose reviews, book journals and emails, and end up thinking that I've really typed them out already!!

Such a fascinating book. I love books that give me a glimpse into a world that I won't get to know otherwise or see with my own eyes. Most certainly I won't be able to climb up those giants and enjoy the view up there, but it's lovely hearing the description of the beautiful world hundreds of feet up in the air.

I've found this video on YouTube. Not the one made by Nat Geo, but of the author Richard Preston making a presentation, which does include pictures of the tree that he climbed. Some of what he said was mentioned in the book as well, but there are new material, and it's great to see pictures of things described in the book.
https://youtu.be/WYRqN1F_DxI

And this one, by Steve Sillett, which is rather scientific.
https://youtu.be/rbsWWdgdZNw

Hopefully I will get to visit the redwood forest again, to better appreciate these giants.

Sending this to Rebekkila, who selected it from the bookbox. I am sure you'll enjoy it like we all did.

I caught this in the bigjohnlefty memorial audio vbb. Thank you.

I gave this to someone who is going to see the Redwoods.