People Trees: Worship of Trees in Northern India

摘要

People Trees is, at its core, a book about religious conceptions of trees as they exist in the culture and practices of those who worship at tree shines in Northern India. But, rather than describing what David Haberman's latest masterpiece is about, it is perhaps more accurate to frame the discussion in terms of who this book is about: People Trees is about the trees of Northern India and those who worship them. In other words, this book is about more than just religious practices and the relationship between humans and their natural environment; it is about personhood. "Who is a tree?" is a question that is more easily answered by those interviewed than "What is a tree?" In this singular and engaging study, those asked usually answered "[t]hey are persons just like you and me" (190-191).