The Forest Unseen by David George Haskell

Recently I heard author and professor of biology at the University of the South, David George Haskell, speak on the subject of his latest book, The Forest Unseen.   I have zero interest in biology, but if I had a teacher like Professor Haskell, I’d be studying salamanders today!

Some of you may have read about Haskell in The New York Times last year or perhaps you follow his popular blog, Ramble.  In any event, it is not often that I recommend a science book (like never!), but The Forest Unseen is Zen science – educational and enlightening.

The premise is simple– for a year Haskell studied one square-meter of old-growth Tennessee forest (about the size of a dining room table) and wrote about what he experienced.

The resulting series of lush essays make perfect bite size reading.