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Ginkgo

The Tree That Time Forgot
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( 141 ratings, 26 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Ginkgo by Peter Crane chronicles the remarkable history of the ginkgo tree, a living fossil that has persisted for over two hundred million years. Renowned botanist Crane explores the tree's ancient origins, survival through ice ages, and eventual cultural significance, from its medicinal and nutritional uses to its role as an artistic and spiritual symbol. The book draws inspiration from the historic ginkgo at Kew Gardens, highlighting the tree's resilience and the hope it offers for conservation efforts.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in botany, natural history, and conservation, as well as those who appreciate cultural and scientific narratives about nature’s enduring wonders.

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Originally published in hardcover in 2013.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, ginkgo has remained stubbornly unchanged for more than two hundred million years. A living link to the age of dinosaurs, it survived the great ice ages as a relic in China, but it earned its reprieve when people first found it useful about a thousand years ago.

Today ginkgo is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. This engaging book tells the rich and engaging story of a tree that people saved from extinction—a story that offers hope for other botanical biographies that are still being written.

Inspired by the historic ginkgo that has thrived in London’s Kew Gardens since the 1760s, renowned botanist Peter Crane explores the history of the ginkgo from its mysterious origin through its proliferation, drastic decline, and ultimate resurgence. Crane also highlights the cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious inspiration, and its importance as one of the world’s most popular street trees.

Readers of Ginkgo will be drawn to the nearest ginkgo, where they can experience firsthand the timeless beauty of the oldest tree on Earth.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its engaging and literate storytelling, Ginkgo has been described as "intelligent" and "enticing," appealing to both scholarly and general readers. Dominique Browning of the New York Times Book Review highlights its approachable style, while The Chicago Tribune appreciates Crane's personable narrative tracing the tree’s evolution and cultural impact. Jane Owen in The Financial Times underscores Crane’s depth of knowledge and eloquent prose, noting the book’s powerful conservation message.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300213829

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 May 2015

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 61 b-w illus.

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Pollyanna von Knorring

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 726g

Pages: 408

About the Author

Peter Crane is Carl W. Knobloch Jr. Dean and professor, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, and former director of The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. He divides his time between Oak Park, IL, and New Haven, CT.

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