Oak Origins: From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life

Andrew L. Hipp                                                                             
The University of Chicago Press, £28.00                                                                         

Oak trees are beautiful, and they were the wood used to construct our naval ships and the pit props for our mines. This book makes little mention of those attributes, but instead does exactly as the title suggests, and as such, opens a whole new world to many of us. I have long been interested in the origins of life, but had never put that in the context of the oak tree. This book is an authoritative account of the many species of oak, also including their genetics and the flow of their genes to form a tree of life. The book is written in a poetic style, which makes us warm to the tree. For example, the flow of genes is put in the context of the musical piece Pharoah’s Dance by Miles Davis and makes a very readable chapter. The book has an excellent notes section outside the main narrative and a good reference list. It is worth noting that the book is written from a North American perspective and while it mentions European oaks, it does not comment, for example, on the oak being a symbol of England. The style and ordering of the book is such that it will be of interest to experts and laymen alike.

Professor Jim Lynch FRSB

Reviewed by Professor Jim Lynch OBE FRSB, Distinguished Professor Life Sciences Emeritus, Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey