Book Review: A Man of Salt and Trees

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Every once in a while, I come across a formative book that makes me say, “Wow, I wish I had read this when I was in high school,” or “I wish I had known about this book when my kids were teens.”

A Man of Salt and Trees is one of those books. This is a biography of Joy Morton, who built Morton Salt into what it is today, who founded the Morton Arboretum in Chicago, and who is the son of Julius Sterling Morton, the founder of The Arbor Day Foundation.

In reading this book, the following thoughts came to me:

1. This man had worked at a bank, as a farmer, and at three different colleges, and had become the head of a major corporation by the time he was 28 years old. He was also married and had children. Our children are much more capable of greatness than we give them credit for. As a teen, I felt this. I felt adults didn’t respect me, give me enough credit for what I was capable of, or even give me chances to prove myself. This book demonstrates what I thought as a teen and what I believe today. We need to give our teens more opportunities and recognize that they are capable of greatness even as teens.
2. The politics in this book could be the same as those we have today. Joy’s father was mad at the president at the time because he thought the president had stolen the election. Lobbying is described as an integral part of business; presidents and politicians are said not to understand the needs of the people; elections were brutal; and so many more things that are precisely what we are experiencing today! I feel this is important because we need to realize that, as people, we can have an impact on society and make things better, but we need to be aware that, historically, this will probably not be through politics. We have become so distracted “hating” each other politically in today’s world that we have forgotten that politics has always been like this. So, it may be better to look for solutions elsewhere. Or, at least be aware that our current situation is not unique. 
3. Sterling was a successful businessman and well-respected in his town. He was probably the most affluent member of his community. However, he had constant anxiety about his financial state and would often write home and tell his son to sell a number of their items so he could feel more secure. Economic insecurity can affect anyone.
4. Sterling’s wife was often depressed about where she lived. She had a wonderful family and had plenty of money, but she was still often depressed. Depression can impact anyone in any part of society.
5. Some people of the time were fighting against slavery, but at the same time were racist against Native Americans. People can have conflicting ideologies and be working to be better people, and not be aware of how they are going wrong.
6. At the time of Joy’s life, which was only in the 1870s to 1930s, everyone was an immigrant. Immigrants are sometimes negatively categorized and stereotyped, but there was never any mention that they should “go back to their birthplace” or that they were not American. In fact, at the time, immigrants were seen as the backbone of the country. They were needed to build the country. In fact, many people were trying to get more immigrants to come.
7. One person can really make a difference! The passion of Sterling, Joy, and other members of the family helped build organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation and the Morton Arboretum, among others.
8. It was more common for wealthy people at the time to give much of their wealth back to society by donating money, setting aside natural parks, and building libraries and other institutions. What has changed in society today that has reduced this giving?

These are all things that we can learn from today. Seeing how politics, racism, immigration, business, and other aspects of life played out in Joy’s life can help us gain perspective on our current era and how we see these things in our own lives.

Our February Book Club will feature this book. If you are a student in 8th grade or high school please join us HERE.

Order a copy of the book from Waldorf Books HERE.