The Beautiful Beast of a Tree

By Robert W. SmithRecorded Track
Length1h 45m

About this audiobook

This is a sharp exposé of what happens when a serious ecological threat collides with a cash‑strapped state and an international aid system obsessed with grand designs rather than practical fixes. Centred on Fiji’s African Tulip Tree - visually stunning, economically useless, and devastatingly invasive - it shows how even a “world‑class invader” can spread almost unchecked when the eradication bill would swallow a frightening slice of national tax revenues. Against this backdrop, the narrative walks listeners through the machinery of climate and development finance, revealing how projects are endlessly reshaped to tick donor boxes but barely touch the roots of the problem. With dry humour and clear-eyed analysis, it exposes the fragmented response of a cash-strapped Fijian government. For those interested in climate politics, the environment and the Pacific, this is a compelling essay on how well‑meaning intentions are missing the mark, and how communities are suffering as a result.

Audiobook details

GenreScience and Nature, Politics and Government
Length1 hr 45 mins
Narrated byRecorded Track
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateJul 30, 2026
LanguageEnglish

Table of contents

1CHAPTER 1 EVERYTHING GROWS HERE IN FIJI
2CHAPTER 2 WORLD-CLASS INVADER
3CHAPTER 3. THE DALEK OF THE TREE WORLD
4CHAPTER 4 YOUR PROBLEM, MINISTER
5CHAPTER 5. SEVEN-HUMPED CAMELS
Show all chapters
6CHAPTER 6 ADAPTATION FUNDING TO THE RESCUE? NOPE!
7CHAPTER 7 THE MAGIC OF THE CARBON CYCLE
8CHAPTER 8 HELPING THE CARBON GOOD GUYS
9CHAPTER 9 PENALISING THE CARBON BAD GUYS
10CHAPTER 10 BEES, VINES AND ANTS
11CHAPTER 11 SMALL BUGS, CANE TOADS AND MONGOOSES
12CHAPTER 12 A CHAPTER OF WOE
13CHAPTER 13 RIGHT! TIME TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX
14CHAPTER 14 THE WINNER IS…
15CHAPTER 15 CODA

More from Robert W. Smith

A Brief History of IntelligenceMax S. Bennett12h 18m4.6 (6.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Story of BirdsSteve Brusatte11h 49m4.6 (401)$29 · $0.00
Pastoral SongJames Rebanks8h 35m4.5 (12K)$26 · $0.00
How Stella Learned to TalkChristina Hunger7h4.5 (10.9K)$24 · $0.00
Craig & FredCraig Grossi8h 6m4.5 (9.6K)$26 · $0.00
Celebrating BirdsNatalia Rojas, Ana Maria Martinez6h 47m4.6 (330)$24 · $0.00
Saving JemimaJulie Zickefoose4h 59m4.5 (749)$20 · $0.00
Will's Red CoatTom Ryan8h 23m4.5 (2.3K)$26 · $0.00
Of Time and TurtlesSy Montgomery10h 34m4.5 (5K)$29 · $0.00
THE WOLF TRILOGY: Call of the Wild, White Fang & The Son of the WolfJack London17h 31m4.5 (2.4K)$0.99 · $0.00
Zen and the Art of Saving the PlanetThich Nhat Hanh9h 20m4.5 (3.9K)$29 · $0.00
BLACK BEAUTY (With Original Illustrations)Anna Sewell7h 31m4.5 (1.3K)$0.99 · $0.00
Bottle of LiesKatherine Eban14h 25m4.4 (12K)$33 · $0.00
IngrainedCallum Robinson8h 10m4.5 (1.1K)$26 · $0.00
The Lion Tracker's Guide To LifeBoyd Varty3h 1m4.4 (4.8K)$18 · $0.00
Born for LoveBruce D. Perry, Maia Szalavitz11h 42m4.4 (4K)$29 · $0.00
The Mountains of California (With Original Drawings & Photographs) (Annotated)John Muir11h 35m4.5 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
The New GuysMeredith Bagby16h 50m4.4 (1.2K)$40 · $0.00
Blue PasturesMary Oliver3h 23m4.4 (3.8K)$18 · $0.00
The Rise and Reign of the MammalsSteve Brusatte13h 26m4.4 (11.1K)$33 · $0.00
KrantikariSanjeev Sanyal11h 44m4.6 (1.3K)$16 · $0.00
Unbroken Bonds of BattleJohnny Joey Jones8h 31m4.6 (2.6K)$8 · $0.00
On Democracies and Death CultsDouglas Murray10h 38m4.6 (6.5K)$29 · $0.00
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and BeyondJohn Lyons12h 37m4.6 (1.4K)$33 · $0.00
RiggedMollie Hemingway12h 48m4.6 (4.2K)$23 · $0.00
SledgehammerDavid Friedman8h 21m4.7 (589)$26 · $0.00
Citizenship in a Republic (Annotated)Theodore Roosevelt2h 44m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
No EscapeNury Turkel9h 30m4.6 (809)$28 · $0.00
Always FaithfulThomas Schueman, Zainullah Zaki12h 12m4.6 (977)$29 · $0.00
UnthinkableJamie Raskin15h 8m4.5 (9.3K)$8 · $0.00
My Fourth Time, We DrownedSally Hayden13h 59m4.6 (2.9K)$23 · $0.00
A Revolution of Common SenseScott Jennings9h 29m4.6 (528)$29 · $0.00
Statement From the Dock at the Rivonia TrialNelson Mandela2h 18m4.6 (1.3K)$1 · $0.00
Lessons from the EdgeMarie Yovanovitch17h 11m4.5 (5.9K)$40 · $0.00
To Rescue the American SpiritBret Baier10h 12m4.5 (2.7K)$8 · $0.00
StonewalledSharyl Attkisson15h 19m4.5 (4.3K)$33 · $0.00
The World According to Orwell: 1984 & Animal FarmGeorge Orwell15h 38m4.6 (1.1K)$0.99 · $0.00
Basic EconomicsThomas Sowell18h 32m4.5 (29.3K)$28 · $0.00
To Rescue the RepublicBret Baier, Catherine Whitney11h 42m4.5 (8.6K)$29 · $0.00
Modern WarriorsPete Hegseth7h 10m4.5 (4.7K)$24 · $0.00

You may also like

The Story of BirdsSteve Brusatte11h 49m4.6 (401)$29 · $0.00
The Rise and Fall of the DinosaursSteve Brusatte10h 6m4.3 (59K)$29 · $0.00
The Ends of the WorldPeter Brannen9h 58m4.4 (9.9K)$29 · $0.00
SwarmJennifer D. Lyle10h 47m3.8 (1.9K)$20
Tales of Space and TimeH. G. Wells7h 10m3.9 (1.6K)$2.30 · $0.00
The Apocalypse SevenGene Doucette12h 26m4.0 (3.2K)$29 · $0.00
The Worst Hard TimeTimothy Egan12h 57m4.1 (63.4K)$33 · $0.00
An Essay on the Principle of PopulationThomas Maltus5h 7m3.7 (3.9K)$15 · $0.00
ASHFALL CHRONICLES - Episode 1M.L. Banner52m4.2 (2.7K) Only with Ultra
The Rise and Reign of the MammalsSteve Brusatte13h 26m4.4 (11.1K)$33 · $0.00
Island on FireAlexandra Witze, Jeff Kanipe6h 8m4.0 (1.2K)$17
The Scarlet PlagueJack London2h 9m3.9 (21.5K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Ultimate Survival Medicine GuideAlton, Joseph8h 54m4.3 (1.3K)Free
KrakatoaSimon Winchester12h 1m4.0 (37K)$8 · $0.00
The Cold SnapEdward Bellamy24m4.0 (15)$2 · $0.00
A Little History of the EarthJamie Woodward10h4.1 (42)$23 · $0.00
The StarH. G. Wells30m$2.30 · $0.00
Prepping: The Ultimate Prepper Guide for Food Storage, Security, and Long-term Preparedness (A Practical Guide to Preparedness, Stewardship, and Service)Douglas Darlington1h 3m$3.50 · $0.00
Greener Than You ThinkWard Moore13h 54m3.6 (660)$2.30
The Life in Ancient Times: Discoveries of Pompeii, Ancient Greece, Babylon & AssyriaL. W. Yaggy, T. L. Haines31h 5m3.8 (11)$2 · $0.00