American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree |
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American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree
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by Susan Freinkel
Sales Rank: 44675
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$14.50
At Amazon
on 6-21-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Hard Cover with 294 pages
Published by: University of California PressEdition: 1st Edition November 19, 2007
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0520247302
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0520247307
Book Dimensions:
8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
Weighs: 1.1 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
In the first years of the 20th century, a mysterious blight began to infect the majestic American chestnut trees of the east. Thirty years later, as many as four billion had been felled by a virulent scourge from Asia, sweeping like a relentless wildfire through forests from Maine to Georgia. Freinkel's enthralling synthesis of science and sentiment chronicles the devastating impact of the chestnut tree's precipitous disappearance on generations of hardscrabble Appalachian homesteaders, who lost a flavorful nugget of nutrition that got their families through bitter winters, and on flummoxed but determined botanists, who battled with politicians in the early 1900s about the best way to halt the blight's inexorable advance. As the presence of towering stands of the perfect tree faded into melancholic memory, she shows that resolute citizens and scientists have set out, with almost religious fervor, to resurrect the dead—with signs of success. Detailed explanations of the science of crossbreeding, hypovirulence (fighting disease by infecting the infection) and genetic engineering often make for heavy if informative slogging. But time after time, this impassioned book strikes resonant emotional chords that transform dry facts into dynamic prose. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Product Review
"A moving portrait. . . . Freinkel's fine reportage sparkles."--Natural History
Reader Reviews
Somehow over the last 100 years the American public has come to believe that the oak tree is THE all American tree, THE symbol of strength and longevity. Well, this book reminds us of what the American public has forgotten, that the oak tree once had a big brother, a tree that grew faster, grew taller, lived longer, produced a wood as rot resistant as redwood, and every fall gave us very tasty and nutritious nuts. It was indeed as close to a perfect tree as you can imagine. This is a great book not only because it tells the tale of the American chestnut and its near demise so well, but also because it goes into great detail about the current restoration efforts and the often hidden "political" battles inside the major organization fighting to restore the chestnut, the American Chestnut Foundation.
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American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree
Available from Amazon
Price: $14.50
Updated on 6-21-2008.
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