Trees in Paradise: A California History Author: Visit Amazon's Jared Farmer Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0393078027 | Format: EPUB
Trees in Paradise: A California History Description
From Booklist
Tourists who cross the length and breadth of California’s topographically diverse countryside can’t fail to notice its wide variety of trees, from the giant sequoias of the north to the coconut palms and Joshua trees of the south. As Stony Brook University professor and former Californian Farmer points out in this oversize landscape history of our third-largest state, many of these trees are nonnative flora, like eucalyptus and citrus trees, cultivated after the U.S. conquest of Mexico and concurrent discovery of gold in 1848. Those seminal events in California’s history not only lured a flood of settlers but also inspired its new citizens to transform once-brown hills and valleys into Eden-like sanctuaries of orange groves and fig trees. In his comprehensive inquiry, Farmer charts the highs and lows of this horticultural revolution, including the ecological devastation that prompted environmentalists to protect the Yosemite Valley. More than just a dry botanical study, Farmer’s work blends superlatively nuanced prose with plentiful eye-opening anecdotes to produce a unique history of little-known but significant aspects of the Golden State. --Carl Hays
Review
“A sweeping and brilliantly observed history of the promise and pitfalls of the California Dream, as seen through the intertwined lives of trees and people.” (
Sir Peter Crane, author of Ginkgo)
“A breathtaking, dramatic, and insightful history of California as seen through the rise and fall of the state’s most iconic trees. Beautifully written, every page is a revelation, bringing to vivid life the myriad ways in which California’s landscape was transformed by human greed and desire, often with disastrous results. You will never think about a tree or the California Dream in the same way.” (
Eric Jay Dolin, author of When America First Met China)
“A small group of savvy historians and ecologists—from William Cronon to Daniel Botkin and others—have in recent decades been alerting us to a neglected reality: that much of ‘nature’ as we perceive it is human-arranged. Jared Farmer is an important voice within this corps. Peering at California as landscape and dreamscape, he sees the forest for the trees.” (
David Quammen, author of Spillover)
“This brilliant new work of California history is a magnificent achievement—imaginative, learned, and very important.” (
William Deverell, director, Huntington–USC Institute on California and the West)
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- Hardcover: 592 pages
- Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (October 28, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0393078027
- ISBN-13: 978-0393078022
- Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 2.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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