ABOUT THE BOOKS

EVERGREEN: 
The Trees That Shaped America

On the heels of his well-praised memoir Little and Often, named a USA TODAY best book of the year, Cornell University professor Trent Preszler returns with a deep dive into America’s energy source in its rise to global superpower: the evergreen. In EVERGREEN: The Trees That Shaped America (Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025; $29.00), Preszler explains what it means to live in a world where the evergreen is both tangible and symbolic, synthetic and authentic, a stalwart bystander throughout centuries of human ambition.

As the author of Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman, Callum Robinson says, the book is an “a tribute to the wonder of trees, and a timely reminder of our urgent environmental responsibilities.” Combining captivating prose with meticulous research, Preszler brings readers into the fascinating world of trees, positing them as the saviors of our dying planet along the way. 

Preszler’s storytelling journeys across centuries and continents, beginning with the Devonian Period-tree in New York, that laid the foundation for humanity’s eventual rise; before moving to the Roman baths that led to the near-extermination of firs across two continents (the Baths of Caracalla, alone, consumed ten tons of firewood daily); to the Ancestral Puebloan builders of New Mexico, who dragged wood 60 miles to the Chaco Canyon by tying massive trunks to their foreheads; to the western sequoia groves of the late 1900s U.S., where lumberjacks exploited for cheap labor found companionship and refuge in same-sex intimacy. Through absorbing storytelling, personal anecdotes, and expert interview, Preszler illustrates how trees have shaped our understanding of nationhood, culture, and authenticity. 

When asked about his inspiration for EVERGREEN, Preszler reflected on visiting the U-cut tree farm in his Long Island neighborhood during 2020, where he encountered real evergreens spray-painted to appear fake. “The mix of real trees in gumdrop tones posed an inherent contradiction: the best-selling evergreens were not, in fact, green.” Preszler explains. “As I spent more time walking among these alien fluorescent trees, it got me thinking that evergreens embody the struggle between what is natural and unspoiled, and what is mass produced and commercial. In our country, those notions are never disconnected. One cannot exist without the other. Because if this is fake, then what is real?” This tension is central to Preszler’s thesis. Christmas has been commodified; nature itself has been made artificial. Preszler probes readers to question if this human excess and desire for immortality is worth it. 

EVERGREEN is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of civilization and the environment. At its core, it’s a call to action regarding the role of authentic trees in the 21st century. 

LITTLE AND OFTEN: 
A Memoir

“Little and Often is a beautiful memoir of grief, love, the shattered bond between a father and son, and the resurrection of a broken heart. Trent Preszler tells his story with the same level of art and craftsmanship that he brings to his boat making, and he reminds us of creativity’s power to transform and heal our lives. This is a powerful and deeply moving book. I won’t soon forget it.” 

—Elizabeth Gilbert

Trent Preszler thought he was living the life he always wanted, with a job at a winery and a seaside Long Island home, when he was called back to the life he left behind. After years of estrangement, his cancer-stricken father had invited him to South Dakota for Thanksgiving. It would be the last time he saw his father alive.

Preszler’s only inheritance was a beat-up wooden toolbox that had belonged to his father, who was a cattle rancher, rodeo champion, and Vietnam War Bronze Star Medal recipient. This family heirloom befuddled Preszler. He did not work with his hands—but maybe that was the point. In his grief, he wondered if there was still a way to understand his father, and with that came an epiphany: he would make something with his inheritance. Having no experience or training in woodcraft, driven only by blind will, he decided to build a wooden canoe, and he would aim to paddle it on the first anniversary of his father’s death.

While Preszler taught himself how to use his father’s tools, he confronted unexpected revelations about his father’s secret history and his own struggle for self-respect. The grueling challenges of boatbuilding tested his limits, but the canoe became his sole consolation. Gradually, Preszler learned what working with his hands offered: a different per­spective on life, and the means to change it.

Little and Often is an unflinching account of bereavement and a stirring reflection on the complexities of inheritance. Between his past and his present, and between America’s heartland and its coasts, Preszler shows how one can achieve reconciliation through the healing power of creativity.

“Insightful, lyrical…Little and Often proves to be a rich tale of self-discovery and reconciliation. Resonating with Robert Pirsig’s classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, it is a profound father-and-son odyssey that discovers the importance of the beauty of imperfection and small triumphs that make extraordinary happen.” 

—USA Today  (★★★★)