A good book: The Overstory

This novel focuses on nature. Humans in the story are episodic characters, it seems, with the environment, in particular trees being the main subject. This book opened my eyes to the complex ecosystems that exist on Earth. In the era of Anthropocene, it is worth reaching for this book to marvel at the beauty and grand sacrifice the natural world is making to accommodate innovation. You can find answers to the most troubling question by simply looking at the trees and learning about their survival techniques. Author Richard Powers poignantly communicates the accomplishments and mysterious adaptation of species such as a suicide tree, but also captures the reader with his rich vocabulary and unique metaphors, and weaves in many allusions to Greek mythology, psychology, and philosophy. It is a book by an author of astonishing wisdom. —Milena Berestko ’22