Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126601 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 390 pages

Review
"[The] national movement to 'leave no child inside'...has been the focus of Capitol Hill hearings, state legislative action, grass-roots projects, a U.S. Forest Service initiative to get more children into the woods and a national effort to promote a 'green hour' in each day...The increased activism has been partly inspired by a best-selling book, "Last Child in the Woods," and its author, Richard Louv." - The Washington Post

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.

Important book
This should be read by every parent and teacher. It makes the point that children need nature, just as nature needs humans to look after it. A must-read for everyone else too!