The Overstory

Have you ever looked at a tree and seen just a tree? What if you could see the hidden, interconnected world they inhabit—a world of communication, memory, and community that mirrors our own? This summary will forever change the way you see the forests around you. Discover how the lives of nine different people—a scientist, an artist, a programmer, and more—are drawn together by the secret language of trees. You'll learn about the astonishing intelligence of forest ecosystems and uncover a powerful new perspective on humanity's place within the natural world, urging you to become a better steward of our planet.

Richard Powers is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of thirteen novels, celebrated for his profound explorations of science, technology, and the natural world. A former computer programmer and a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, Powers brings a unique, interdisciplinary perspective to his fiction. For The Overstory, he immersed himself in the study of trees and forest ecology after a transformative experience in California's redwood forests, channeling his awe into a powerful, sprawling narrative that reshaped his own relationship with the living world.