Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146571 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 390 pages

Customer Reviews

The Book which is Revolutionising Environmental America
This highly emotive and readable perspective of an American journalist is creating a huge movement of people and organisations who have said "Enough is enough" to litigation and other constraints on unstructured outdoor free play for children of all ages. The book cites the need for action to be taken by everyone to consider the environment in which we live and how it impacts on our health. For anyone interested in children, the outdoors, green spaces, wilderness areas, green design of urban places, etc. and who wants an introduction to a rapidly expanding movement in North America, then buy this book. The chapter which discusses spirituality and the nature is sensitively written and gives multi-faith examples of what religious groups are doing to address similar concerns. Be warned teachers! You may find yourself questioning the value of homework and after school activity clubs! Oooh! The up-dated edition has just been published. Buy a copy now or borrow from your local library!

Good, not brilliant
This book is a good look into what is happening to children today. It claims that a lack of contact with nature and/or a lack of free play in an unsupervised place is causing problems both for the way people view the environment (as people with little/no knowledge of it) and for people too (he suggests links with ADHD).

It is however written by an American for Amercians, and most of the content is focused on US examples, this is not inherantly a bad thing just a little annoying as someone in the UK. It also has a short preachy Christian chapter in it; which you may like, but as an atheist I thought was unnecessary.

The author is at pains to point out that Nature-Deficit Disorder isn't a recognised medical condition, but that it is a way to look at the problems and way to find potential soluntions arsing from TV/computer based play.

Perhaps 3 stars is a little harsh, as it is easy to read, and well thought through. It just seems to be resting on one person's interpretation and not factual enough. I guess if you have kids it will appeal/connect to you more than it did to me.

Sensational: deserves every accolade received & then some
As a very digestable piece of literature, Dr. Richard Louv has caused a ripple which caused a stir which hopefully will bring a wave of realisation to international governments that amount of available green space (particularly amidst urban environments) is directly linked to health and wellbeing...but then probably not. For similar theories & nature-based concepts look up Shifting Baseline Syndrome, Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach & the re-wilding projects implemented at Dutch coastal sites. Every school should have a copy to read comunally during lesson time (again you may say i'm a dreamer etc).