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“Louv deftly brings together cutting-edge science, longstanding wisdom and recent discoveries, along with wonder and humor, while never losing sight of the magic that's possible when humans and nonhumans connect...This is a book that offers hope.”
— New York Times Book Review
“Looking at scientific research from a variety of experts, this is a compelling call to reestablish ties with the animal world. Strongly recommended for anyone feeling overwhelmed or spiritually bereft in today's society.”
— Dianna Hartle: Library Journal
“Richard Louv has done it again. A remarkable book that will help everyone break away from their fixed gaze at the screens that dominate our lives and remember instead that we are animals in a world of animals.”
— Bill McKibben, author Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
“'Our Wild Calling' makes one see the world differently; as a place more interconnected, personal, and full.”
— Christian Science Monitor
“(An) intriguing and poetic treatise ... Thoughtful and hopeful, Louv's work is a stirring look at 'the blurred lines that have always existed between wild and domestic, human and other than human.'"
— Publishers Weekly
“Louv writes of our need for immersion in nature and of how our interactions with animals can help us to save not only ourselves, but also the planet. In lyrical, sometimes mystical prose, he challenges our assumptions about how we relate to other species.'"
— Booklist, starred review
“Impassioned and compelling ... A thoughtfully researched, poetically inspiring call to action that will resonate with a broad range of readers."
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Not just a brilliant, wise, and eloquent book, but a powerful summons to reconnect with the life all around us. Reconnecting with animals is a remedy for much of what ails modern life including loneliness and boredom.”
— David W. Orr, Paul Sears Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Oberlin College
“I wish I had written this book! In this deep exploration, Louv celebrates our essential connections to animals ”in the wild, in the city, in our dreams, in our hearts.”
— Jennifer S. Holland, author of the New York Times bestselling Unlikely Friendships series
“These pages weave a wondrous tapestry in which we all are crucial threads. Its a picture of our own creation, about a future we will share, a future we can strive to make worth living for.”
— Carl Safina, author of the New York Times bestseller Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel
“Through fascinating stories of human-animal interaction, Richard Louv urges us to be open-minded about animals and reposition our species inside the natural world.”
— Frans de Waal, New York Times bestselling author of Mama's Last Hug
“The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”
Our Wild Calling: How connecting with animals can transform our lives - and save theirs
Richard Louv’s landmark book, Last Child in the Woods, inspired an international movement to connect children and nature. Now Louv redefines the future of human-animal coexistence. Our Wild Calling explores these powerful and mysterious bonds and how they can transform our mental, physical, and spiritual lives, serve as an antidote to the growing epidemic of human loneliness, and help us tap into the empathy required to preserve life on Earth. Louv interviews researchers, theologians, wildlife experts, indigenous healers, psychologists, and others to show how people are communicating with animals in ancient and new ways; how dogs can teach children ethical behavior; how animal-assisted therapy may yet transform the mental health field; and what role the human-animal relationship plays in our spiritual health. He reports on wildlife relocation and on how the growing populations of wild species in urban areas are blurring the lines between domestic and wild animals.
Our Wild Calling makes the case for protecting, promoting, and creating a sustainable and shared habitat for all creatures—not out of fear, but out of love. Transformative and inspiring, this book points us toward what we all long for in the age of technology: real connection.
Explore more: Overview | Reviews | Purchase
Other Books on the Gifts of Nature
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
In his groundbreaking international bestseller Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv spotlights the alienation of children from the natural world, coining the term nature-deficit disorder and outlining the benefits of a strong nature connection—from boosting mental acuity and creativity to reducing obesity and depression, from promoting health and wellness to simply having fun.
More about Last Child in the Woods: Overview | Excerpt | Reviews | Purchase
Vitamin N
Vitamin N (for “nature”) is the comprehensive practical handbook that readers of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle have been asking for. It addresses the whole family and the wider community with 500 smart, fun, and effective ways to engage with the natural world; scores of informational websites; and dozens of thought-provoking essays. You’ll find an abundance of down-to-earth advice as well as creative projects and activities for every stage of life, from suggestions for calming infants through nature, building a nature vocabulary with toddlers, and helping tweens become citizen scientists to finding nature-centered schools, medical professionals, and even careers; plus easy ways for the whole family to join nature clubs, volunteer to restore damaged habitats, and more.
More about Vitamin N Overview | Reviews | Purchase
The Nature Principle
Supported by landmark research, anecdotal evidence, and compelling personal stories, The Nature Principle identifies seven basic concepts that can help us reshape our lives. By tapping into the restorative powers of nature, we can promote mental and physical health and wellness; build smarter and more sustainable businesses, communities, and economies; and ultimately strengthen human bonds.
More about The Nature Principle: Overview | Excerpt | Reviews | Purchase
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