About this title: Louv talks with parents, children, teachers, scientists, religious leaders, child-development researchers, and environmentalists to find ways for children to experience the natural world more deeply.
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Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9781848870826ISBN:1848870825
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Date Published: 2005-04-15
ISBN-13:9781565123915ISBN:1565123913
Description: New. Gift Condition, Priority Shipping recommended for prompt delivery by USPS when offered, Delivery Confirmation on all domestic items where available. read more
Description: Good. 156512605X US STUDENT EDITION. BOOK IS A GOOD CONDITION. WILL SHIP WITHIN 24 HOURS WITH DELIVERY CONFORMATION AND TRACKING NUMBER. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Workman Pub Co
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9781565126053ISBN:156512605X
Description: New. In his groundbreaking work about the staggering divide between children and the outdoors, journalist and child advocate Richard Louv directly links the absence of nature in the lives of today's wired generatoin to some of the most disturbing childhoo... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9781848870826ISBN:1848870825
Description: New. Shows how our children have become increasingly alienated and distant from nature, why this matters and how we can make a difference. This book offers practical advice on how to help children to enjoy the natural world-starting in our parks and gard... read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Date Published: 4/15/2005
ISBN-13:9781565123915ISBN:1565123913
Description: Good. 1565123913 Ex-library book with usual markings. Clean text. SATISF GNTD + SHIPS W/IN 24 HRS. Ships in a padded envelope with free tracking. 44, 592. read more
Description: New. Please note that deliveries to addresses in the UK and Europe will be in 4-14 business days. Other countries should refer to Alibris standard times. ISBN10: 1848870825. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Date Published: 01/07/2009
ISBN-13:9781848870826ISBN:1848870825
Description: Used-Good. THIS IS A HARD TO FIND OR RARE TITLE. PLEASE ALLOW 7-21 DAYS FOR DELIVERY, BOOK IN GOOD OR BETTER CONDITION. ITEM WILL BE SHIPPED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FROM WAREHOUSE. PLEASE EMAIL WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR QUERIES. read more
"I would agree with what others have posted. Louv makes some compelling arguements, yet fails to back it up with sound data (mostly because little data exists). Also, while I agree with what he terms "Nature Deficit Disorder", I believe he stretches the positives of unstructured natuer play a little too much. Additionally, his bias is evident in that some outdoor activities seem to less desired (i.e. hunting) to others (i.e. building tree houses).
I do, however, agree with the majority of his hyposthesis, namely that children have a very detatched view of nature... they know about the hole in the ozone, or the destruction of the rain forest 1/2 the world away, or about the supposed quilt they are to feel because of unrpoven "global warming" - yet most kids know very little about the endangered species and native plants in their own greenbelts and how continued urban sprall has much more impact (especially much more impact that they can have influence on) than the other BIG TICKET environmental issues.
The litigation and boogy-man syndrome runs rampant in today's parenting and HOA circles. My child's school does have a greass field, but it is barren grass used for organized sports. What tress and bushes they have around the school yard are closely trimmed and off limits to play.
In our neighborhood parks, I have been openly chastised by other parents for encouraging my child to "climb a tree" or play in the bushes of the green belt, b/c of some type of damage a kid's footprints might do to the flora / fauna... Like an 8 year-olds climbing is really going to kill a 100+ year old tree.
The fact that I let my children go out on the dirt trails by our house unsupervised is tantamount to child endangerment to some parents. If a pervert doesn't get them, a coyote or rattlesnake bite surely will is the prevailing mindset.
With the Swine Flu, my kids are probably safer on the trail by themselves than they are in the schoolyard or at daycare in terms of actual threat to personal safety and health.
Louv's idea of utopian society is not a realistic goal. I wish he would focus more on tangible solutions that can be implimented within a comminuty (i.e. voluntary tree planting, trail restorations, old fashioned trash pick-up days / etc...) and hiking, fishing, exploring clubs.
Give kids a reason to go outside without feeling hurried or rushed... thats how you grow the next generation of conservationists. His assertation that over zealous evironmentalism has placed nature into a "walled off behind plexi-glass" type of museum piece for children to look at, but not interact with is right on IMHO.
As someone who is active in scouting with my sons, I am all too aware of the cult-like mantras of "leave no trace" and the things you can / can't do b/c of the skewed perception of risk from some well intended, yet misguided adults.
The take home I have is... Go Outside... take it easy and explore... no need to schedule it... and try to minimize your impact without going overboard to the point that kids feel like they can look but not touch. If they pick up ONE rock and take it home, its not going to destroy the mountain, but if they don't learn to appreciate the mountain, then as adults they will fail to stand up and be heard when a developer wants to put tract homes on the top of it.
Overall, a good read. If nothing else, it reminds me to SLOW DOWN outside and go at a child's pace... now we hike to look at leaves and a bug in the path and how the sound of a gurgling brook resembles splashing in the bathtub, instead of worrying about how many miles we have covered in a certain amount of time.
Mostly, we as parents need to go outdoors WITH the kids and then GET OUT OF THE WAY of their discovery.
Its a simple concept, yet one that really does need to be stated and emphasized in today's society."
"This book has been criticized because it doesn't really offer empirical evidence, but I think for those of us who spent time wandering the woods (we had 40 acres that I knew like the back of my hand) as kids, we know what a gift that outdoor time can be for kids. That's why this book is a must-read for parents and educators, I think -- to remind us of what's out there and possible and what we've forgotten. It may be that "nature" therapy can work as a form of behavior therapy for ADHD kids -- and that's fine. But the point that's most important here is that there's a huge world out there that our kids should be experiencing first-hand whenever possible, rather than through a computer screen."
"Okay, actually I read most of this book last year, but then it disappeared mysteriously -- until I finally discovered it behind the couch! It took a while to get back into the train of thought I'd left weeks (months?) ago, but I was very glad to finally finish it.
This was a life-changing book in many ways. It was one of those perfect books just two steps ahead of the reader's brain -- I was more than ready to agree with nearly everything contained within. And that covers a lot of ground! From research suggesting that exposure to nature is essential to a child's development to how sprawl and lawsuit-paranoid land-use policies have restricted this access to groups working to bring exposure to nature into the schools and into neighborhoods to play quality in "traditional" playgrounds vs natural areas to the effect of teaching environmentalism with an exclusively global focus while neglecting local flora & fauna and a sense of connection to place... It's exhaustive! But never exhausting. Each chapter spawned new ideas and grew new connections in my brain. The author made a deliberate effort to focus on causes for hope and suggestions for action, which I well appreciated.
I would recommend this book to anyone. Anyone with kids or who knows kids. Anyone interested in nature or the environment. Anyone interested in education. Anyone interested in changing the world and who dares to hope."
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