Hello Fig Forum Folk
I would like to introduce my forthcoming book Ladders to Heaven: How fig trees shaped our history, fed our imaginations and can enrich our future.
I spent some years studying wild fig species in the rainforests of Borneo and Papua New Guinea. I have since learned about the roles figs have played in human civilisation, culture and religion, over thousands of years. I'm now a professional writer and I want to share the many amazing stories about figs with the world.
You can read an extract and watch my introductory video on the website of my publisher, Unbound. I have also pasted a summary below. If you like what you see, please consider ordering a copy (e-books are also available).
Unbound uses an innovative crowdfunding approach, without which special books would not be able to reach their deserving readers.
What this means is that Unbound agrees to publish and market the book if enough people pledge their support in advance. For a limited time only you can get £5 off any edition if you use the code FIGS at the checkout.
Everyone who orders a copy in advance will be named in the book as a patron, and acknowledged on the Unbound website.
Best wishes
Mike
Ladders to Heaven: Summary
Ladders to Heaven tells the story of an amazing group of plants that have affected humanity in profound but little-known ways – by shaping our world, nourishing our bodies and feeding our imaginations.
They are the fig trees and the best could be yet to come. These trees could help us restore damaged forests, protect rare wildlife. And all because 80 million years ago they cut a curious deal with some tiny wasps. It was a deal that created biological shackles for them both, but which also created gifts for many other species, including our own.
It’s thanks to this deal that figs sustain more species of birds and mammals than any other fruit. It’s also why fig trees have so often influenced human history and culture.
They have symbolic significance in every major religion, featuring in the stories of Adam and Eve, Krishna and Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed. But their longevity puts our short history into humbling perspective.
The fig trees survived the mass extinction that saw off the dinosaurs and have been one of nature’s driving forces ever since. They were feeding our ancestors long before they descended from the trees.
Today, the 700+ species of figs are the most varied group of plants in the world. But they are under threat. And time is running out for us to learn what their story can teach us. It's a story of hope in a time of falling trees and rising temperatures.
Ladders to Heaven will take you to rainforests, volcanoes and ancient temples. It will tell tales of kings and queens, of flying foxes and botanical monkeys. It will show how we can harness the biological power of fig trees to enhance our environmental security.
The story can tell us much about our origins… and a lot about where humanity could go from here. It stretches back tens of millions of years but is as relevant to our future as to our past. It even involves robots.
To read a sample, watch the promo video or order copy, visit: http://unbound.co.uk/books/ladders-to-heaven/