The Tree Collectors

 The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession by Amy Stewart, 336 pages.

This collection follows fifty individuals who are, in some way or another, obsessed with trees. Some of them are obsessed with having a wide and diverse collection, others with a single species of tree. Amy Stewart breaks this collection down into approximate categories of collecting motivations, although as she notes people's reasons for collecting trees are nearly as diverse as the collectors themselves. This book is beautifully illustrated, and presents an engrossing global record of collectors.

When I first picked this up I was expecting more of a historical record of naturalists, but this is instead (mostly) a collection of people the author actually managed to interview, with a few historical naturalists thrown in. I also really wasn't expecting how lovely and plentiful the illustrations are. This is a book of bite-sized little vignettes that nevertheless managed to pull me in entirely and create just a touch of arboreal obsession in me as well. I would definitely recommend this as a casual read and a peak into a world most people are completely unaware of.