Peter Crane is Carl W. Knobloch Jr. Dean and professor, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, and former director of The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. He divides his time between Oak Park, IL, and New Haven, CT.
"This intelligent, literate history is so enticing it will leave
you greedy for more."—Dominique Browning, New York Times Book
Review
"You might think you’d have to be a scholarly sort of tree hugger
to wrap your mind around GINKGO: The Tree That Time Forgot, by
Peter Crane, but this intelligent, literate history is so enticing
it will leave you greedy for more."—Dominique Browning, New York
Times Book Review
"It’s a personable story, as Crane examines the fossil record
seeking to trace the plant’s evolution and the tree’s cultural
impact."—The Chicago Tribune
"Ginkgo cranei, an extinct species of the family, is named after
the author who lived beside the UK’s oldest Ginkgo while he was
director of Kew Gardens. This qualification is dwarfed by the depth
of Crane’s knowledge and the sparkle of his prose. He also reminds
us why conservation matters: 'Letting species go extinct when we
have the power to intervene is like letting a library burn just
when we are learning how to read.'"—Jane Owen, The Financial
Times
"This biography of the ginkgo tree offers a potent mix of science,
history, and culture, exploring how plants have changed our lives
and our planet. And Peter Crane . . . is the perfect person to tell
the tale. . . . With its meticulous footnotes, satisfying
referencing and gripping narrative, I can see this becoming a
commuter’s favorite for scientists and general readers alike. . .
. Ginkgo will inspire you to know and care for the organisms
with which we share this planet in a new way."—Sandra Knapp,
Nature
"Peter Crane guides us through every aspect of the tree’s
provenance, at the same time using it to weave an enthralling tale
of people, history, evolution and conservation. He leaves no stone
unturned in his quest to present the story of this remarkable tree
. . . Those who read this book are likely to look upon the ginkgo
tree with a sense of enchantment . . ."—Dr Graham Godfrey, The
Biologist
"[T]he appeal of a life form that saw the dinosaurs come and go
prevails and makes this book a fascinating . . . read."—Michael
Gross, Chemistry & Industry
"Ginkgo trees were growing when the dinosaurs were alive and they
still grow now – that is the wonder underpinning Peter Crane’s
remarkable book Ginkgo . . . Just as comfortable with
mentioning Goethe or Mozart as he is with Linnaeus, he comes across
as humane, lively, engaging. And he writes well, turning what could
have been a heavy read into a pleasure."—Ruth Pavey, Wood &
Vale
"Ginkgo is a rare work about a tree unlike any other. Written by
Peter Crane, a paleobotanist and former head of the UK’s Royal
Botanic Gardens in Kew, his passion for the subject makes you want
to go out and hug a ginkgo."—New Scientist
"This is a most useful and interesting publication, produced to the
usual high standards of Yale University Press. Although obviously
aimed at a broad readership, it is an authoritative scientific
work. . . . Clearly Peter Crane much enjoyed escaping the confines
of conventional scientific publishing to write the book, and his
enthusiasm shows."—John Akeroyd, BSBI Journal
A Best Science Book of 2013, New Scientist
Shortlisted for the 2014 Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science
"This engaging book uses Ginkgo as a point of departure to examine
a wide range of topics—the history of botanical exploration in
China and Japan, as well as plant anatomy, physiology, evolution,
extinction, and conservation. . . . It is both scholarly
and accessible."—Scott Wing, Smithsonian Institution
"Ginkgo takes a place among the best books on plants that I have
had the pleasure of reading. It provides an extremely interesting
account of a remarkable plant through space, time, and
culture."—Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus, Missouri Botanical
Garden
"My favorite Ginkgo is the iconic 'over my dead body' in Hibiya
Park in Tokyo. Peter Crane’s book will enchant both experts and
newcomers to these splendid plants."—Robert M May, University of
Oxford
"Peter Crane provides a compelling and definitive portrait of the
Tree That Time Forgot: its ancient lineage, its natural history,
and history interwoven with people . . . an eye-opening page
turner about the Ginkgo in particular and trees in general. A
triumph of beautifully written scholarship."—Thomas E. Lovejoy,
University Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, George
Mason University
"A remarkable book about a remarkable tree that came through from
the age of the dinosaurs in one corner of China, and has now
repopulated parks and gardens all over the world. An important
biography of the ultimate survivor."—Richard Fortey, author of
Horseshoe Crabs & Velvet Worms
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