The Overstory

Like _Glass Bead Game_ was a good book to read when you're trying to meditate, _The Overstory_ is a good book to read when you're trying to think more about trees. I had read this many years ago but forgotten most o-f it. I didn't remember if the initial stories ended up intertwining. It makes sense that they do but it would have been cool, if more challenging to read, if it was just a series of a bunch of vignettes, tied together by trees somehow. SPOILERS One of things I like about Powers is that when he brings tech in - in this case the story of Neelay and the game company - he knows enough about it to get details right (although it is very high-level/parable in this, which I think is appropriate). I had forgotten about the couple where the guy becomes paralyzed - I think in some ways that was the most interesting story to me because it felt the most spiky/risky, which feels like a sign that he Powers was really trying to communicate something with it. It takes a long time to even really make the connection - and it's one of the most distant ones. But I think there is something beautiful about the image of a windowed look onto a suburban yard going back to wild. That as you adjust and sync with it's timescale it becomes riveting. SPOILERS At it's best this gave me the feel of plants as aliens among us. Reminded me of the richness of attention paid.