Editions

The Secret Network of Nature

The Secret Network of Nature

  • The Delicate Balance of All Living Things

An exploration of the invisible connections sustaining the entire natural world from the bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees

Did you know that trees can influence the rotation of the earth?
Or that wolves can alter the course of a river?
Or that earthworms control wild boar populations?

The natural world is a web of intricate connections, many of which go unnoticed by humans. But it is these connections that maintain nature’s finely balanced equilibrium.

Drawing on the latest scientific discoveries and decades of experience as a forester, Peter Wohlleben shows us how different animals, plants, rivers, rocks and weather systems cooperate, and what's at stake when these delicate systems are unbalanced.

‘Peter Wohlleben doesn't merely look, he sees. Let's all learn as much from him as we can, and quickly’ Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of Cows

Reviews

  • Fascinating… Wohlleben is right to remind us that everything is joined up

    Evening Standard

  • A fascinating read

    BBC Wildlife

  • Praise for The Hidden Life of Trees: ‘Marvellous’

    Irish Times

  • Praise for The Inner Life of Animals: 'Always fascinating… Wry, avuncular, careful and kind'

    Guardian

More from this Author

About the Author

Peter Wohlleben

Peter Wohlleben spent over twenty years working for the forestry commission in Germany before leaving to put his ideas of ecology into practice. He now runs an environmentally friendly woodland in Germany, where he is working towards the return of primeval forests, as well as caring for both wild and domestic animals. Wohlleben has been celebrated for his distinctive approach to writing about nature; he brings to life groundbreaking scientific research through his observations of nature and the animals he lives amongst. He is also the author of international bestsellers including The Hidden Life of Trees and The Inner Life of Animals.

Peter Wohlleben

Read more

/content/dam/prh/articles/adults/2019/april/sun-1.jpg

Extracts

How to tell the time using just the sun

Peter Wohlleben invites us to take a closer look and interpret the signs that nature conveys in his book The Weather Detective.
/content/dam/prh/articles/archive/vintage-podcast-logo.jpg

Podcasts

Do bees plan for the future?

Authors Stephen Moss and Peter Wohlleben discuss the strange and wonderful inner life of robins, crows and horses we might not be able to see from a glance in this episode of The Vintage Podcast...

Our Use of Cookies

We use cookies on this site to enable certain parts of the site to function and to collect information about your use of the site so that we can improve our visitors’ experience. For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here

Our Use of Cookies

We use cookies on this site to enable certain parts of the site to function and to collect information about your use of the site so that we can improve our visitors’ experience.

For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here

Strictly Necessary

Strictly Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions. See More.

Analytics

Analytics cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. These cookies may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. See More.

Preferences & Features

Preference and Feature cookies allow our website to remember choices you make, such as your language preferences and any customisations you make to pages on our website during your visit. See More.

Targeting / Advertising

Targeting cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you and your interests. They perform functions like preventing the same content from reappearing, ensuring ads are displayed and, in some cases, selecting content based on your interests. See More.