Why We Like This

Emerson is one of, if not the, most eloquent and articulate environmental authors. Emerson’s most famous essay, perhaps, is Nature — an essay that deeply explores how the human may come to understand their position in and amongst nature. Emerson outlines his discourse via five stages, or disciplines, which communicate to the reader all that the natural environment offers to the human…that is, if we take the time to experience the presence and influence of nature in our everyday life. In this book, which contains a collection of his most prominent essays, you’ll find Nature, Self-Reliance, The Over-Soul, The Transcendentalist, The Poet, and several others. If you’re a fan of the poetic writing style, we highly recommend taking a look at Emerson.

Why We Like This

In “Primates and Philosophers”, Frans de Waal doesn’t take so much a macrocosmic, existential approach to understanding the human relationship to nature, but a more focused look at our evolution of morality…our ethical underpinnings. De Waal explores this topic through the lens of evolutionary biology. He and several other prominent scholars, scientists and moral theorists chronicle the development of morality and behavioral dynamics, all the way from the primate to the modern-day human. This book is comprehensive, thought-provoking, and enlightening. Not to give too much away, but his theories suggest that our human nature is rather good and empathetic. You can learn more about De Waal’s theories via the TED Talk below.

Why We Like This

Perhaps you already know of E.O. Wilson from his work on the biophilia hypothesis, which endeavors to unpack the very fabric of how life and nature nourish one another through ecological, and rather transcendental, exchanges. “The Meaning of Human Existence” is one of E.O. Wilson’s most recent works, and is meant to be a summation, and amalgamation, of his theories related to evolutionary biology, ecological philosophy, and existential philosophy.

We think this short paragraph sums up the provocative nature of this book well: “In ‘The Meaning of Human Existence’, his most philosophical work to date, Pulitzer Prize–winning biologist Edward O. Wilson grapples with these and other existential questions, examining what makes human beings supremely different from all other species. Searching for meaning in what Nietzsche once called “the rainbow colors” around the outer edges of knowledge and imagination, Wilson takes his readers on a journey, in the process bridging science and philosophy to create a twenty-first-century treatise on human existence―from our earliest inception to a provocative look at what the future of mankind portends.”

Why We Like This

Have you ever looked at your hand, your foot, really any part of your body, and wondered, “How in the world did this thing we call a hand come to be?” Well, if you’re a curious individual who has, then we recommend looking into this book. The title of the book itself is pretty descriptive and gets the point across: “Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body”. Neil Shubin examines fossils and DNA in a thoughtful and accessible way, bringing about enlightening ideas on how and why we look the way we do…thanks to evolution and Mother Nature. If you’re more curious, feel free to watch the interview below.

Why We Like This

We have yet to read this book, but it’s high up there on our reading list. Many of the sites we looked at that review books within the environmental space recommend it. The title and provided summary are provocative enough, and seem to express themes that are agreeable to the theme of this kit (i.e., the human relationship to nature).

We particularly like this excerpt from a review in Orion Magazine: “Louv is wise enough not to try and depress people into action. While acknowledging the magnitude of our separation, he quickly gets back on the trail of possible reconnection. He manages to energize his readers by making us feel a part of a historic, exciting movement. Although focused on the urban world, Louv aims to shift our concept of civilization beyond notions of citizen and city to a broader awareness of our place on the planet. Page after page we learn that in working to heal the world through restoration, we end up healing ourselves.”