The evil life of trees: they kill, steal and commit arson – the truth about our beloved woodland friends.

BÖSE BÄUME
[Bad Trees]
by Markus Bennemann
Goldmann/Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe, November 2022

No wonder we love trees so much. Even just a short stroll through a park or woodland helps us breathe easier and replenish our energy resources, and looking up into the leafy canopy above your head can help clear your mind. But beeches, yews, etc. also have a darker side: they commit all sorts of nefarious deeds, and are willing to poison, mutilate and kill to gain the advantage over their neighbours. In BÖSE BÄUME, the science editor Markus Bennemann – who loves nothing more than taking a stroll in the woods – uncovers the unpleasant truth about their darker side. He tells readers about the tropical strangler fig, which insidiously chokes its victims; about the domestic walnut, which turns out to be a nasty poisoner; and about eucalyptus trees, who are actually pyromaniacs – and many other such unpalatable fellows in the world of trees.

Markus Bennemann couldn’t decide whether to major in literature or biology. In the end, he chose literature, and now writes books about… well, biology. He is the author of several adult non-fiction and children’s books, which have been translated into numerous languages.