Fascinating Reads

Over the years I have collected several nature related books by various authors that I have found inspirational, thought provoking, or as good resources.

During college I had to read Walden by Henry David Thoreau for my English class. I was instantly intrigued by a man who chose to leave the city life for a couple of years and live closer to nature. "By immersing himself in nature, Thoreau hoped to gain a more objective understanding of society through personal introspection. Simple living and self-sufficiency were Thoreau's other goals."  One of my favorite quotes from the book is "Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails."



More recently I came across a book that inspired a new way of looking at nature, education and the raising of kids. The book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv discusses the growing trend of "nature deficit disorder" as he calls it. Through research he shows that "direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults." It's a fascinating read. One quote from the book that I really like is "An environment-based education movement - at all levels of education - will help students realize that school isn't supposed to be a polite form of incarceration, but a portal to the wider wold."



This next book is a bit harder to start reading, but definitely eye opening and worth it. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson discusses the harm we are doing to our environment by the use of pesticides. From insects to fish to other wildlife, all are being affected by the poisons we sometimes so ignorantly use. She goes on to argue that not only are we killing nature, we are ultimately harming ourselves as well. She encourages us to be aware; "One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'what if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'"




Though I have more, I will only share one last book for now. This devotional book was given to me by a friend and one day I would love to write something similar. The book is called With God on the Hiking Trail by Nathan Chapman. The author illustrates spiritual principles through stories of his experiences hiking in nature. Here's just a tiny example: "'Consider it all joy' (James 1:2) is much easier on a trail than in a trial, but the end results for both areas of struggle are strength, vivid memories, and the ability to cope better the next time."