Prologue: The secret life of Christmas trees -- A living altar -- Trees that time forgot -- Tragedy of the commons -- Timbers of resistance -- American Eden -- The pine tree riot -- Babbitt's big idea -- Life on the Mississippi -- The turpentine trail -- The discovery tree -- Too much of a good thing -- Terrestrial whaling -- Where fools rush in -- Cut out and get out -- Tinderbox -- Airplane spruce -- Plywood nation -- Trial by fire -- Green glacier -- And the trees will last forever -- Evergreens everywhere -- All from a seed this big -- Epilogue: Have yourself a garish little Christmas

"A sweeping natural history of the humble trees that built nations, sparked wars, and became the world's most cherished holiday tradition.In Evergreen, Cornell University professor Trent Preszler weaves together a captivating story of humanity's deeply rooted relationship with evergreens, revealing how the trees shaped economies, launched cultural movements, and propelled America's rise to global prominence. With stunning historical range and lyrical insight, Preszler guides readers from the awe-inspiring evergreen cathedrals of the West to Christmas tree farms in the Midwest, sawmills in the South, the iconic Rockefeller Center spruce in the East, and beyond." -- Jacket flap