Nearly 20 years after I started putting ideas down on paper, my book is finally here. The UK title is Ladders to Heaven. It is available from 8 September 2016 as a hardback or ebook, and can be pre-ordered from Amazon, Unbound, and all good book stores.
Later this year, Chelsea Green Publishing will bring out an edition for the US and Canada, with the new title Gods, Wasps and Stranglers. It is also available to pre-order from Amazon.
If you can’t wait, then I recommend journalist Ben Crair’s article Love the Fig, which The New Yorker published last week. It includes some quotes from me. I was also talking figs last week on BBC Radio 4’s comedy chat show The Museum of Curiosity. You can listen to the show online here until about 15 September.
Lastly, here is a preview of the text for back of the book, and below that a photo of the first batch of books themselves. Go on, you know you want one.
They are trees of life and trees of knowledge. They are wish-fulfillers … rainforest royalty … more precious than gold. They are the fig trees, and they have affected humanity in profound but little-known ways. This book tells their amazing story.
Fig trees fed our pre-human ancestors, influenced diverse cultures and played key roles in the dawn of civilization. They feature in every major religion, starring alongside Adam and Eve, Krishna and Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad. This is no coincidence – fig trees are special. They evolved when giant dinosaurs still roamed and have been shaping our world ever since.
These trees intrigued Aristotle and amazed Alexander the Great. They were instrumental in Kenya’s struggle for independence and helped restore life after Krakatoa’s catastrophic eruption. Egypt’s Pharaohs hoped to meet fig trees in the afterlife and Queen Elizabeth II was asleep in one when she ascended the throne.
And all because 80 million years ago these trees cut a curious deal with some tiny wasps. Thanks to this deal, figs sustain more species of birds and mammals than any other trees, making them vital to rainforests. In a time of falling trees and rising temperatures, their story offers hope.
Ultimately, it’s a story about humanity’s relationship with nature. The story of the fig trees stretches back tens of millions of years, but it is as relevant to our future as it is to our past.
Under The Banyan 
Autographed books are available Madam. Good luck. Will read this one.
Devika . Heard of speaking trees this one is about a speaking fruit. For those who relate to nature.