Book picks similar to
Kinship: Belonging in a World of Relations, Vol. 2 – Place (Kinship, #2) by Gavin van Horn
1-this-year-choose-nature
environment
nature-babes
May at 10
Anthony Seldon - 2019
May at 10 tells the compelling inside story of the most turbulent period in modern British politics for 100 years.Written by one of Britain’s leading political and social commentators, May at 10 describes how Theresa May arrived in 10 Downing Street in 2016 with the clearest, yet toughest, agenda of any Prime Minister since the Second World War: delivering Brexit. What follows defies belief or historical precedent. This story has never been told.Including a comprehensive series of interviews with May’s closest aides and allies, and with unparalleled access to the advisers who shaped her premiership, Downing Street’s official historian Anthony Seldon decodes the enigma of the Prime Minister’s tenure. Drawing on all his authorial experience, he unpacks what is the most intriguing government and Prime Minister of the modern era.
Plastic Sucks! You Can Make A Difference
Dougie Poynter - 2019
It fills up our oceans, endangers our wildlife and never goes away. So it's time to take action, find ways to cut down our plastic use and help protect our environment. Together we can make a difference!As a lifelong supporter of environmental causes and a key player in the campaign to ban microbeads in the UK, Dougie is always on the hunt for ways to reduce and replace plastic. This campaigning book, his first solo authored project, draws on his own experiences in the fight against plastic waste – the problems he's encountered and the solutions he's found. It covers the history of plastic, introduces us to some key campaigners and eco entrepreneurs and is full of top tips and infographics. The clear and easy steps in Plastic Sucks! You can Make a Difference show us how we can all make small changes and become champions for our planet.
Petra
Shaena Lambert - 2020
Award-winning novelist Madeleine Thien calls
Petra
a masterpiece--a fierce, humane and powerful novel for our times.
January, 1980. At the height of the Cold War, Petra Kelly inspires hundreds of thousands to take to the streets to protest the placement of nuclear missiles on West German soil--including a NATO general named Emil Gerhardt, who shocks the establishment by converting to the cause. Petra and her general not only vault to fame as the stars of the Green Party, but they also fall in love. Then Manfred Schwartz, an ex-lover, urges Petra to draw back the curtain on Emil's war record, and they enter a world both complicated and threatening.Told by Manfred Schwartz, from his place in a present world even more beset by existential threats, Petra is an exploration of love, jealousy, and the power of social change. A woman capable of founding a new and world-changing politics and taking on two superpowers, Petra still must grapple with her own complex nature and a singular and fatal love.
The Swordfish and the Star: Life on Cornwall's most treacherous stretch of coast
Gavin Knight - 2016
In The Swordfish and the Star Gavin Knight takes us into this huddle of grey roofs at the edge of the sea at the beginning of the twenty-first century.He catches the stories of a whole community, but especially those still working this last frontier: the Cornish fishermen. These are the dreamers and fighters who every day prepare for battle with the vast grey Atlantic. Cornwall and its seas are brought to life, mixing drinking and drugs and sea spray, moonlit beaches and shattering storms, myth and urban myth. The result is an arresting tapestry of a place we thought we knew; the precarious reality of life in Cornwall today emerges from behind our idyllic holiday snaps and picture postcards. Even the quaint fishermen’s pubs on the quay at Newlyn, including the Swordfish and its neighbour the Star, turn out to be places where squalls can blow up, and down again, in an instant.Based on immersive research and rich with the voices of a cast of remarkable characters, this is an eye-opening, dramatic, poignant account of life on Britain’s most dangerous stretch of coast.Praise for Hood Rat 'A gripping novelistic immersion' Louis Theroux'A must-read' Owen Jones'Britain's Gomorrah' Independent
12 Birds to Save Your Life: Nature's Lessons in Happiness
Charlie Corbett - 2021
. .'A lyrical and life-affirming book that teaches us as much about birds as it does ourselves - a balm for the soul' Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path'Charlie has opened my eyes to the constant joy of the sights and sounds of the birds that surround us. It is a book that really will save lives' Dr Richard Shepherd, author of Unnatural Causes'An enchanting book. I knew at once this was something special' Lady Glenconner'This is no ordinary ornithology, but one that portrays the very essence of each bird through a very human lens and shows us that both solace and joy can be ours by merely observing with an open eye and an open heart' John Wright, author of The Forager's Calendar'A wonderful blend of the lyrical and practical. Charlie shows us that our relationship with birds and the natural world is not only healing, but an important part of our cultural heritage worth protecting' Adam Henson_________
Can you recognise the cheerful chirrups of the house sparrow? A song thrush singing out at winter's darkest hour? Or the beautiful haunting call of the curlew?
At a time of great anxiety and uncertainty, while coping with the untimely death of his mother, Charlie Corbett realised his perspective on life was slipping. In a moment of despair, he found himself lying on the side of a hill in the rain, alone with his thoughts.Suddenly he hears the song of a skylark - that soaring, tinkling, joyous sound echoing through the air above - and he is transported away from his dark thoughts. Grounded by the beauty of nature, perspective dawns. No longer the leading role in his own private melodrama, merely a bit part in nature's great epic.Through twelve characterful birds, Charlie shows us there is joy to be found if we know where to look, and how to listen. From solitary skylarks to squabbling sparrows, he explores the place of these birds in our history, culture and landscape, noting what they look like and where you're most likely to meet them.By reconnecting with the wildlife all around him and learning to move with the rhythms of the natural world, Charlie discovered nature's powerful ability to heal.In this life-affirming and joyful guide to the birds living all around us, it might just heal you too.
Shenandoah: A Story of Conservation and Betrayal
Sue Eisenfeld - 2015
In this travel narrative, she tells the story of her on-the-ground discovery of the relics and memories a few thousand mountain residents left behind when the government used eminent domain to kick the people off their land to create the park.With historic maps and notes from hikers who explored before her, Eisenfeld and her husband hike, backpack, and bushwhack the hills and the hollows of this beloved but misbegotten place, searching for stories. Descendants recount memories of their ancestors “grieving themselves to death,” and they continue to speak of their people’s displacement from the land as an untold national tragedy.Shenandoah: A Story of Conservation and Betrayal is Eisenfeld’s personal journey into the park’s hidden past based on her off-trail explorations. She describes the turmoil of residents’ removal as well as the human face of the government officials behind the formation of the park. In this conflict between conservation for the benefit of a nation and private land ownership, she explores her own complicated personal relationship with the park—a relationship she would not have without the heartbreak of the thousands of people removed from their homes.Purchase the audio edition.
Hard Times in Paradise
David Colfax - 1992
An account of one family's life in a redwood forest describes how the Colfax's lived without electricity, running water, or a phone, and how they educated their sons, three of whom were accepted to Harvard on full scholarships.
Peace, Love, Goats of Anarchy: How My Little Goats Taught Me Huge Lessons about Life
Leanne Lauricella - 2018
Part humor, part memoir of her life with the goats, and part testament to the power of giving back, Peace, Love, Goats of Anarchy is a moving read for animal lovers of every kind. When Leanne left her job as an event planner in New York City, she had no idea that in just four short years, her home—both inside and out—would evolve into a farm sanctuary for special needs goats! The inspiring stories—accompanied by a wealth of heart-melting photos of Leanne's rescue goats—tell how these special animals taught her lessons about:ChangeFinding purposeUnconditional loveStrengthConfidencePatienceGrief and courageHow to fight like a goatHopeLaugh, cry, and be amazed by how much a few goats can teach you about life in Peace, Love, Goats of Anarchy.
The Last Albatross
Ian Irvine - 2000
And he knows just how to do it. Hercus attempts to blackmail his old friend Ryn Hardey into helping him, for they share a terrible secret from their student days. Ryn can’t stop Hercus without implicating himself, but Hercus won’t take no for an answer. And Ryn has another urgent problem. His research on Antarctic ice sheet melting is showing alarming results and he can’t work out why. Then Hercus’ secret gets out, and it’s worth a fortune to a doomsday ecological cult. Soon Ryn and his partner Jemma are on the run from ruthless eco-terrorists and professional hitmen. As Ryn struggles to work out what will happen when the ice melts, Jemma tries to uncover Hercus’ catastrophic plan – before it’s too late.Global warming, unstoppable climate change and environmental terrorism collide in The Last Albatross – Book One in the shatteringly prophetic Human Rites trilogy.Praise for The Last Albatross.“The action-packed plot of doomsday cults and planetary collapse isn’t far from the truth.” The Times (London).“A chilling suspense story set against a backdrop of 21st Century environmental depletion and cultural degeneration. Portrays a frighteningly plausible future.” US Library Journal.“A well-crafted near-future eco-thriller.” Roland Green, US Booklist.
Wabi Sabi Simple: Create beauty. Value imperfection. Live deeply.
Richard R. Powell - 2004
By living the wabi sabi life, Westerners would be seeking to find peace and truth through nature, harmony and the little things. Readers can explore all aspects of this wondrous way of life: - Wabi sabi working - doing what one loves and not overdoing it; Wabi sabi eating - valuing the humble and familiar and savouring the exotic; Wabi sabi socializing - gleaning the lessons of the ancient tea ceremony; Wabi sabi creativity - enriching one's life by; valuing individual moments. The author serves as a highly eloquent guide on the reader's journey to a simpler, more fulfilling life
The Good Bee: A Celebration of Bees – And How to Save Them
Alison Benjamin - 2019
These fascinating, enigmatic creatures are a key lynchpin in the working of our planet. Without them the landscape, as well as every aisle in our supermarkets would look radically different.
And we're not just talking about honey bees. There are more than 20,000 species of bee worldwide and only a handful make honey. Some live in colonies and others are solitary. We can all help protect them - and they desperately need protecting - but you can't save what you don't love. And you can't love what you don't know. The Good Bee is a celebration of this most vital and mysterious of nature's wizards. Here you'll discover the complexities of bee behaviour - as well as the bits that still baffle us - the part they play in the natural world, their relationship with us throughout history, how they are coming under threat and what we can all do about it.Beautifully produced, with hand-made illustrations throughout, it is a story for our times and a book to treasure.
Case Files of the Tracker: True Stories from America's Greatest Outdoorsman
Tom Brown Jr. - 2003
His intimate knowledge of the natural environment, by sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, has made him renowned as a detective of the outdoors. For decades he has been called upon to find missing children, escaped animals, dangerous criminals—anything that can walk, crawl, or lope through the wilderness. His hunting expertise, and his call to find harmony in nature, have been chronicled in several of his books including The Tracker and Awakening Spirits. Now, in Case Files of the Tracker, Tom Brown reveals sixteen of his adventures for the first time, including: · A desperate race to reach a diabetic child before he suffers from insulin shock· The treacherous struggle to capture an armed convict that left Tom with a bullet in his back· His Tracking Team’s pursuit of a tiger on the loose in the wilds of New Jersey
The View From Here
Lynne Hinton - 2018
This is a story about love and forgiveness, about loss and what it means to be family. It’s a story about finding peace in whatever place you call home. It’s also quietly, unpretentiously about environmentalism and preservation of place.Katie Sinclair climbed up a loblolly pine just to see if she could. And then she stayed, creating a media sensation and more than a little trouble for the folks in Jones County, North Carolina. There is a lot of speculation about why the state employee took to the tree. Some think she is making a political statement about the destruction of forests for urban development. Others believe her recent divorce has driven her to a nervous breakdown.But the truth is she’s living in a tree because she needs a new perspective. She needs a wider view of a life that had somehow become tedious and small. From her perch high above everyone, Katie deals with the deputy who keeps being sent to try and talk her down, a brutal spring storm, well-meaning environmentalists, odd and interesting townspeople, a pair of protective horned owls, a mysterious reporter, and even some dangerous boys sent by the developer whose plans demand taking down her tree.There is plenty for Katie to take in while living in a tree. Author Lynne Hinton’s elegant, effortless prose shows us as if we were there what Katie is seeing and learning about birds, sky, wind, and people. But she -- and us with her -- is changed primarily by what she discovers about herself, about grief and forgiveness, and about the true love that has been in front of her for most of her life.No reader will be unmoved by this lyrical, empathetic novel crafted by a master storyteller.
Living on the Edge: Amazing Relationships in the Natural World
Jeff Corwin - 2003
One of America's favorite nature-show hosts, Corwin demonstrates awe and respect for nature in a way that is both wildly funny and educational. In this beautiful book, illustrated with his own photographs, he reminisces about his at-times-perilous and often hilarious journeys as he explores the fantastic relationships among the diverse flora and fauna in four exotic ecosystems: the Sonoran Desert of Arizona; the Savannah of southeastern Africa; the Costa Rican rainforest; and the Llanos grassland in Venezuela. From a lizard that ejects a blood-like squirt from its eyes when in danger to perhaps the most bizarre turtle on the planet-we meet some wonderfully unique creatures and learn about their interdependence and competition in their natural habitats.