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zoe_'s review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The Arbornaut is the type of book I wish I could have read when I was a child. Me as a child was "weird" (whatever that even means) enough that I would have probably eaten it up and carried this book in my heart for the rest of my life. I am glad for all children that are now able to read it, though it is too late for me.
From my perspective as an adult who has read my fair share of books about plants written by scientists and others and who will continue reading such books, this was an easy win but not a stand-out. Lowman is very determined to teach the reader a couple of core messages: she wants equal opportunities for all, she wants us to have a more sustainable relationship with the environment, she wants to find out more about the world. All of those are great messages that I would support in all the ways she outlines. However, the heavy focus on these as well as a lack of common thread in the second half of the book (the first half is, basically, an autobiography but this seemingly stops about halfway through) result in a somewhat repetitive reading experience. For that reason, I would recommend reading this book chapter by chapter with some breaks in-between.
I've said it before, but I'm not a fan of memoirs and (auto)biographies, so I actually struggled a little bit with the first half of the book as well, resulting in the lack of enthusiasm (combined with the repetitiveness of the later chapters) leading to me rating this book "really liked it" instead of giving this more stars. Again, I think if I hadn't read so many books in my life, I think I would have loved this and I think this has the potential to inspire many future scientists, but from my current point of view I have not fallen in love with the Arbornaut. All of this is just to say that I would still highly recommend this book. I think it is a worthwhile read, and I think Lowman did a great job communicating not only those core issues but also many other interesting facts and anecdotes about trees and nature in general (including humans, including herself).
From my perspective as an adult who has read my fair share of books about plants written by scientists and others and who will continue reading such books, this was an easy win but not a stand-out. Lowman is very determined to teach the reader a couple of core messages: she wants equal opportunities for all, she wants us to have a more sustainable relationship with the environment, she wants to find out more about the world. All of those are great messages that I would support in all the ways she outlines. However, the heavy focus on these as well as a lack of common thread in the second half of the book (the first half is, basically, an autobiography but this seemingly stops about halfway through) result in a somewhat repetitive reading experience. For that reason, I would recommend reading this book chapter by chapter with some breaks in-between.
I've said it before, but I'm not a fan of memoirs and (auto)biographies, so I actually struggled a little bit with the first half of the book as well, resulting in the lack of enthusiasm (combined with the repetitiveness of the later chapters) leading to me rating this book "really liked it" instead of giving this more stars. Again, I think if I hadn't read so many books in my life, I think I would have loved this and I think this has the potential to inspire many future scientists, but from my current point of view I have not fallen in love with the Arbornaut. All of this is just to say that I would still highly recommend this book. I think it is a worthwhile read, and I think Lowman did a great job communicating not only those core issues but also many other interesting facts and anecdotes about trees and nature in general (including humans, including herself).
thereadingpotato's review
3.0
3.5/5. This is a detailled dive into the life of the "Real-Life Lorax," Meg Lowman- a tree scientist and conservationist who revolutionized ecological research, particularly through the study of tree canopies. This nature memoir provides an inside look into what inspired Meg from an early age and how she translated her love of trees into a lifelong and impactful scientific career working in treetops and travelling the world.
As someone who is also passionate about nature and environmental research, I enjoyed hearing about Meg's background and life's work. It was a very interesting and inspiring tale. The main setback for me was that I often found the writing so detailled that it significantly slowed down the book for me, and so it wasn't as gripping as I would've liked.
Overall, this is a thorough read into the life of an amazing field biologist and her groundbreaking work in the treetops.
Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
As someone who is also passionate about nature and environmental research, I enjoyed hearing about Meg's background and life's work. It was a very interesting and inspiring tale. The main setback for me was that I often found the writing so detailled that it significantly slowed down the book for me, and so it wasn't as gripping as I would've liked.
Overall, this is a thorough read into the life of an amazing field biologist and her groundbreaking work in the treetops.
Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
bluebooked's review
Soft DNFing this book - I'll go back and finish it someday! I just haven't had any motivation to continue it for over a month now.
kirander's review
5.0
Still in love with this book. It does get personal and goes deep into the life of the author who is constantly trying to break, or at least crack, the glass ceiling. It’s inspirational to females and I highly recommend it for teenagers! Every other chapter is about a specific tree and interspersed in the other chapters are facts and research on other trees. Very inspirational and I loved it! Makes me want to become a researcher
nmccarron's review against another edition
began really well… got 4 and a half hours in but there was too much info about beetles n insects, i got kind of bored despite being an ecologist and nature enthusiast myself.
the voiceover for the book was too monotone so i found it hard to follow!
the voiceover for the book was too monotone so i found it hard to follow!
fluffy_piggy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.25
I loved this. A really inspiring read. I learnt a lot and it’s given me clearer goals to aim for as an aspiring botanist.
I found the audiobook reader a little annoying and some parts could be repetitive.
But most of the book was really well told, with a mix of personal stories, facts and advice. Each chapter focused on a different project or part of the Lowman’s life. This format allowed us to explore specific projects in detail while also getting the overall view of her journey to being the successful scientist she is today.
I’d love to meet her.
I found the audiobook reader a little annoying and some parts could be repetitive.
But most of the book was really well told, with a mix of personal stories, facts and advice. Each chapter focused on a different project or part of the Lowman’s life. This format allowed us to explore specific projects in detail while also getting the overall view of her journey to being the successful scientist she is today.
I’d love to meet her.
kkuffel's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5