Stephen R. Kellert

The subject matter was great, and very necessary, and Kellert is clearly an expert who has considered over many decades the subject of the many ways people need to connect to nature. It's not a new idea for me, but I still found new data and perspectives in here; for instance, the necessity of human aversion to nature for evolutionary adaptiveness (eg. a primate's instinctive and unlearned fear of snakes), and how conservation and restoration projects need to take into account our need to be afraid of some parts of nature. ! Have never before considered it, but it's a point well taken. (Though I like snakes. And spiders, so long as they remain safely smaller than my fist.)

Which made it all the more disappointing that his tone was so relentlessly academic. It's a subject that could so benefit from a more personal and emotional tone, and the inclusion of more actual stories--real-life stories--instead of these weirdly fictitious interludes where he imagines things that might happen (but haven't). Surely there are enough actual examples of times and places where increased contact with nature has benefited people in the ways he writes about--I'm familiar with a lot of them myself, so what gives? Imagination is no substitute for real-life narratives, especially when you're trying to convince people of your point of view and get them to feel it.

So I liked it, and I'm glad I read it, and I'm really looking forward to some of this information being popularized by a writer with a more passionate touch.… (más)