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“The remarkable Bishnoi of India, whose unique religion ‘has environmental protection at its very core,’ recruited Goodman to tell their dramatic story…”—Booklist, STARRED review
Perfect for nature enthusiasts, My Head for a Tree is a timely and remarkable book about India’s Bishnoi people, passionate defenders of nature whose ecological wisdom carries a powerful message.
Meet the Bishnoi, followers of a religion with nature conservation at its heart. Today, Bishnois remain fierce defenders of trees and animals, living by principles set by their guru Jambhoji in the fifteenth century. They chase down armed poachers, rescue and care for injured animals, save endangered species, and lead heroic reforestation efforts in the Rajasthani desert. In a time of biodiversity loss and climate change, what lessons do they have to teach us?
The story of the Bishnoi is true, though it reads like a fable. In 1730, the Maharajah of Jodhpur sent his troops to chop down a forest in northwest India. When 363 local villagers, led by Amrita Devi, hugged the trees to protect them, the Maharajah’s men chopped off their heads. Who are these people who love trees so much that they would give their lives to save them?
My Head for a Tree takes us from temples, homes, and schoolrooms to animal sanctuaries, farms, and desert forests, revealing a thriving community of eco-warriors. Their stories inspire and challenge readers to live more kindly and defend nature with a passion. While you can only be born a Bishnoi, we can all follow their example.
Price: $28.95
Pages: 272
Publisher: Greystone Books
Imprint: Greystone Books
Publication Date:
08 April 2025
Trim Size: 7.50 X 5.25 in
ISBN: 9781778401497
Format: Hardcover
BISACs:
"Goodman profiles his subjects and relates his historical anecdotes with the verve and amiability of a travel writer .... [A]n infectiously buoyant and upbeat account of committed environmental activism."
—Publishers Weekly
“The remarkable Bishnoi of India, whose unique religion ‘has environmental protection at its very core,’ recruited Goodman to tell their dramatic story…”
—Booklist, STARRED review
“This sensitive and engaging book is about climate collapse, and about an extraordinary group of people—the Bishnoi—whose intimate connection to the natural world offers us a way of understanding and confronting our present crisis. It’s full of surprises. I hope everybody reads it.”
—Brian Eno
“The story of the Bishnois—the first true environmentalists—is important, inspirational and humbling. My Head for a Tree is essential reading for all those who care about our magnificent planet. Utterly fascinating.”
—Andrea Wulf, author of Magnificent Rebels and The Invention of Nature
“Intriguing.”
—Nature
“My Head for a Tree paints a fascinating picture of the Bishnoi community’s uniquely ecological way of living.... Goodman’s painstaking research is evident throughout.”
—The Telegraph, India
"[A] must-read for every nature lover.”
—The Tribune, India
"Goodman’s message is that although the Bishnoi are doing their best to save the planet, time is short and the way of life they practise, the teachings given to them by their desert guru, should not be kept secret."
—Geographical
"[My Head for a Tree] fills a gap in the ongoing environmental debate."
—The Hindustan Times
"[An] unparalleled and comprehensive account of this remarkable community.... The book serves as a fine example of environmental communication."
—Open
Martin Goodman is an award-winning author who divides his time between California and the United Kingdom. He is the author of twelve books of award-winning nonfiction and fiction, including his account of eco-lawyers saving the planet, Client Earth, which won Judges’ Choice in the UK’s Business Book of the Year and Green Book of the Year from Santa Monica Libraries. His biography of the scientist J.S. Haldane Suffer & Survive won Best Book, Basis of Medicine in the British Medical Association’s Books of the Year, and his debut novel On Bended Knees was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize. Goodman is emeritus professor of Creative Writing at the University of Hull, where he is director of the Philip Larkin Centre for Poetry and Creative Writing.
Ram Niwas Bishnoi Budhnagar is a leading Bishnoi activist, the former leader of the Bishnoi Tiger Force, and president of the Youth Congress of Jodhpur.
Peter Wohlleben is a world-renowned forester and author of many bestselling books about the natural world, including The Hidden Life of Trees, The Inner Life of Animals, The Secret Network of Nature, and The Power of Trees. His books have been translated into dozens of languages and have been adapted for the screen. When he is not writing and researching, Wohlleben manages a sustainable forest academy in Germany’s Eifel Mountains.
Preface by Ram Niwas Bishnoi Budhnagar
Author’s note
Foreword by Peter Wohlleben
Amrita Devi and the 363 Martyrs
One Morning with Cranes
Bishnois versus Salman Khan
The Men Who Gave Their Lives for a Gazelle
The Birth of Guru Jambhoji
How to Live in a Megadrought
In the Land of the Great Indian Bustard
In the Animal Sanctuary
The Guru at the Wedding
The Man Who Plants Trees
How to Make a Tree Planter
Women in the City
The Massacre of the Trees
Passing Amrita Devi’s Baton
In This Together
Bishnoi Tiger Force
The Enforcer
Preparing for War
Appendix: The Twenty-nine Rules
Endnotes
Photo credits
Thanks
Index