Includes bibliographical references (pages 252-260) and index.

Foreword / by Tim Flannery -- Introduction to the English edition -- Introduction -- Friendships -- The language of trees -- Social security -- Love -- The tree lottery -- Slowly does it -- Forest etiquette -- Tree school -- United we stand, divided we fall -- The mysteries of moving water -- Trees aging gracefully -- Mighty oak or mighty wimp? -- Specialists -- Tree or not tree? -- In the realm of darkness -- Carbon dioxide vacuums -- Woody climate control -- The forest as water pump -- Yours or mine? -- Community housing projects -- Mother ships of biodiversity -- Hibernation -- A sense of time -- A question of character -- The sick tree -- Let there be light -- Street kids -- Burnout -- Destination north! -- Tough customers -- Turbulent times -- Immigrants -- Healthy forest air -- Why is the forest green? -- Set free -- More than just a commodity -- Note from a forest scientist / by Dr. Suzanne Simard.

In 'The Hidden Life of Trees', Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders of which we are blissfully unaware. Much like human families, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, and support them as they grow, sharing nutrients with those who are sick or struggling and creating an ecosystem that mitigates the impact of extremes of heat and cold for the whole group. As a result of such interactions, trees in a family or community are protected and can live to be very old. In contrast, solitary trees, like street kids, have a tough time of it and in most cases die much earlier than those in a group. Drawing on groundbreaking new discoveries, Wohlleben presents the science behind the secret.

Translated from the German.