Tracking Giants, Amanda Lewis
Tracking Giants, Amanda Lewis
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Tracking Giants
Big Trees, Tiny Triumphs, and Misadventures in the Forest

Author: Amanda Lewis, Dr. Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Narrator: Tanya Eby

Unabridged: 7 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/19/2023


Synopsis

Amanda Lewis was an overachieving, burned-out book editor most familiar with trees as dead blocks of paper. A dedicated "indoorswoman," she could barely tell a birch from a beech. But that didn't stop her from pledging to visit all of the biggest trees in British Columbia, a Canadian province known for its rugged terrain and gigantic trees.

The "Champion" trees on Lewis's ambitious list ranged from mighty Western red cedars to towering arbutus. The only problem? Well, there were many . . .

Climate change and a pandemic aside, Lewis's lack of wilderness experience, the upsetting reality of old-growth logging, the ever-changing nature of trees, and the pressures of her one-year time frame complicated her quest. Burned out again—and realizing that her "checklist" approach to life might be the problem—she reframed her search for trees to something humbler and more meaningful: getting to know forests in an interconnected way.

Weaving in insights from writers and artists, Lewis uncovers what we're really after when we pursue the big things—revealing that sometimes it's the smaller joys, the mindsets we have, and the companions we're with that make us feel more connected to the natural world.

About Amanda Lewis

Amanda Lewis is a big-tree tracker and an award-winning book editor. Born in Ireland, she now divides her time between the internet and a small island on the west coast of Canada. Tracking Giants: Big Trees, Tiny Triumphs, and Misadventures in the Forest is her first book. Amanda works as a developmental editor, creative coach, and publishing strategist.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Harley on January 17, 2023

I had the pleasure of blurbing this book: "A delightful and enlightening journey into the woods. Amanda Lewis treads so softly here, with wit and color, with care and passion, in an intimate exploration of how nature's magnificent expressions, regardless of size or title, hold enormous capacity to i......more

Goodreads review by Nola on June 04, 2023

I love the message about finding joy in failure. Amanda set out to see all 43 champion trees in BC only to realize that it was never truly in achievable because trees are mortal. Over time, she realized that the forest is a never ending story and tracking trees on a spreadsheet was preventing her fr......more

Goodreads review by Prasham on January 13, 2025

I got this book as we were traveling to BC. It was recommended on one of the Vancouver Island Reddit forums, and oh boy it is a wonderful find. I connect in a lot of ways with Amanda. Like her, I initially set out on hikes with an end goal but soon realized that being in nature is just being in natu......more

Goodreads review by Michael on June 23, 2023

Amanda takes us by the hand on a humbling, eye-opening quest to visit some of Western Canada’s remaining Elder trees, exploring the deep questions around the meaning and value we place on life, and the natural wonders that sustain us. Highly recommend for those who care about our home.......more

Goodreads review by Mary on April 02, 2024

It was amusing and had a good message about not seeing the forest for the trees. It was a bit longer to than necessary and redundant in some places.......more