The Man Who Planted Trees

“[This] simple classic may just hold the secret to meaningful existence.”—Richard Powers, author of The Overstory

“This book is so hopeful . . . [and] it is something I believe—that you can change the world by planting trees.”—Alice Waters, author of We Are What We Eat

Chelsea Green published the first trade edition of The Man Who Planted Trees in 1987, and it has become a timeless eco-fable about what one person can do to restore the earth. The hero of the story, Elzéard Bouffier, spent his life planting one hundred acorns a day in a desolate, barren section of Provence in the south of France. The result was a total transformation of the landscape-from one devoid of life, with miserable, contentious inhabitants, to one filled with the scent of flowers, the songs of birds, and fresh, flowing water.

Since our first publication, the book has sold over a quarter of a million copies and inspired countless numbers of people around the world to take action and plant trees.

This edition includes a foreword by Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the African Green Belt Movement.

“It has given me much joy to reread this story.”—Wendell Berry