Our Wild Calling

June 1, 2019

Audubon Medal winner Louv probes human-animal coexistence, talking with wildlife experts, researchers, psychologists, theologians, and indigenous healers to reveal how our relationship with animals helps us. From the author of the New York Times best-selling Last Child in the Woods; with a 50,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 9, 2019
In this intriguing and poetic treatise, journalist Louv (Vitamin N) argues for a “great reset” in how humans relate to the rest of the animal kingdom. Humans may feel themselves separate from other creatures, he observes, but human history and existence have always been intertwined with them, to the extent that wild animals are now adapting to urban environments. He shares stories about unexpected cross-species interactions—there’s a wonderful anecdote about an initially tense encounter between a diver and an octopus, who forge a “nonaggression pact”—and details about the varied ways animals (and even plants) have of communicating with each other—horses, he notes, have 17 facial expressions. After that, Louv turns to subjects that include therapeutic relations between humans and animals, the inability of technology to substitute for these interactions, and how to educate the next generation about having a healthier relationship to nature. 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.” Agent: Jim Levine, Levine, Greenberg, Rostan Literary.

Starred review from October 1, 2019
The renowned nature writer explores how we can find better ways to coexist with animals in the future. In his latest, Louv (Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life, 2016, etc.) expands on key themes he has addressed in his previous books: specifically, how we must engage more directly and harmoniously with nature. He offers an impassioned and compelling case for establishing a sustainable bond with animals by proactively seeking to protect them. With extensive urbanization and the devastating effects of climate change driving more wild animals outside of their traditional habitats and into the cities, the urgency is greater than ever. "Wild animals, for their solitude or independence, stay a respectable distance from us," writes Louv. "How do we do the same for them? How do we protect the spaces in which other animals live and still watch them, connect with them, be with them? The point is not just to fulfill our human need for connectedness but to mindfully replace our destructive interactions--as individuals, as a society." Weaving his personal experiences into accounts of his interviews with wildlife experts, psychologists, teachers, and others, the author recounts spiritual and sometimes mind-altering or life-changing encounters with various types of wild animals. These range from dogs to cattle to birds to snakes to sea creatures (a particularly interesting section involves a diver's enigmatic meeting with a giant octopus). Louv offers glimpses of how animals can effectively communicate with their own species and remarkable examples of cross-species interactions. He further considers how interactions with animals can be therapeutic, both physically and mentally, including our increasing dependency on support animals and evidence of how animal-assisted therapy can benefit autistic children. By understanding how to effectively connect with the animal world, argues the author, we will not only reduce human and animal loneliness; ideally, we could find the key to our survival on this planet. A thoughtfully researched, poetically inspiring call to action that will resonate with a broad range of readers.

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Starred review from October 1, 2019
As Louv (The Nature Principle, 2011) points out in this fascinating book, the distractions of modern times make it difficult to fully experience life. We live in a state of loneliness, consumed by our digital distractions, unless we connect to the other animals that share our world. As in his landmark book, The Last Child in the Woods (2008), and all that followed, 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. A young girl asks "what is that guy saying?" when she hears a bird's alarm calls as a predator approaches the nest, sounds her mother had not distinguished from the background suburban noise. The movement of coyotes, raccoons, bears, and foxes back into human-dominated areas shows the adaptiveness of earthlings both human and otherwise. Louv interviewed scientists, theologians, and indigenous healers as he explored the many levels of communication between animals and humans. The importance of time spent with other species and the mutual acknowledgement and curiosity found in a shared interspecies gaze ultimately leads to an affirming sense of recognition between two beings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

October 1, 2019

Louv (Last Child in the Woods) advocates for critical anthropomorphism in his latest book. Scientists have typically been wary of attributing human characteristics to animals, but Louv argues that critical anthropomorphism can couple scientific knowledge with curiosity and imagination. This coupling can lead to a richer insight into nonhuman animal behavior and is providing a rich area of research for scientists known as human-animal interactions or anthrozoology. As humans are encountering extreme feelings of loneliness and disconnectedness, reconnecting to animals can counteract the negative repercussions of digital distraction, poor urban design, and economic insecurity, according to Louv. The author discusses animals of all types, from wildlife and urban wildlife to companion animals, and even robotic companion animals as potential anecdotes to feelings of hopelessness. VERDICT 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.--Diana Hartle, Univ. of Georgia Science Lib., Athens

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.