s ▁of ▁life . ▁Dig ress ions ▁from ▁the ▁bi ographical ▁narr ative , ▁scattered ▁throughout ▁the ▁book , ▁provide ▁background ▁into ▁related ▁topics , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁bot any . ▁ ▁Su zu ki ▁was ▁inspired ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁bi ography ▁of ▁a ▁tree ▁when ▁he ▁noticed ▁a ▁Douglas - fir ▁with ▁an ▁un character istic ▁curve ▁in ▁its ▁tr unk ▁and ▁spec ulated ▁what ▁caused ▁it ▁to ▁grow ▁into ▁that ▁shape . ▁Su zu ki ▁studied ▁the ▁topic ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁a ▁research ▁assistant ▁and ▁solic ited ▁Gr ady ▁to ▁help ▁write ▁the ▁book . ▁V ancouver ▁publish ers ▁Gre yst one ▁Books ▁released ▁the ▁book ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁In ▁the ▁Canadian ▁market , ▁it ▁pe aked ▁at ▁number ▁three ▁in ▁the ▁Mac lean ' s ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁Post ▁non - f iction ▁best ▁s eller ▁lists ▁and ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁several ▁awards . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁it ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁Australia ▁by ▁Allen ▁& ▁Un win . ▁The ▁prem ise ▁and ▁writing ▁were ▁well ▁received ▁by ▁critics . ▁While ▁several ▁review ers ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁authors ▁succeeded ▁in ▁using ▁accessible ▁language , ▁others ▁found ▁it ▁too ▁technical . ▁ ▁Background ▁In sp iration ▁for ▁the ▁book ▁came ▁from ▁a ▁Douglas - fir ▁tree ▁with ▁a ▁curve ▁in ▁its ▁tr unk . ▁While ▁sitting ▁by ▁the ▁tree , ▁at ▁his ▁home ▁on ▁Qu ad ra ▁Island , ▁near ▁V ancouver , ▁David ▁Su zu ki ▁realized ▁that ▁even