Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder,   ISBN:9781565126053

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Last Child in the Woods" is one of those life changing books. The root of this book is two themes, "technology is not the answer, it is the problem", and "being out in nature is restorative to our soles". The obvious revelations here are too powerful to ignore. Any parent raising a child in the modern world needs to read this one book. The themes represented here are required reading.

Nevada BookWorm

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The idea of this book appeals to me. I believe we all benefit from time spent in nature. I try to live in accordance to the seasons and in harmony with the earth. In the fall (it is autumn as I write this) we begin to eat warmer food, rake leaves take hikes through woods which are now golden with light. We walk on the beach with our dog and feel that the water is growing colder. We notice the berries on bushes that will feed the birds before food becomes sparse. All of this is essential to health and to comfort. But the magic of it, the awe of nature is lost in the language of this book to some extent. I am not trying to say that it isn't valuable because it is. But it may appeal more to people who don't already adore being out of doors and need some scientific research to get them moving. And that is quite alright. I believe that children benefit from nature, from seeing that plants grow towards the sun, that mushrooms can double in size overnight and that birds build nests from straw. We are part of this planet, whether we live in cities or rural environments or in between. We are bathed in the light and breathe the air and we are blessed that in the cracks of the sidewalk in the busiest cities, dandy lions will continue to grow that we all might always wish. It is our reverence for nature which should lead us to play outside and the joy we get from the good health and balance it brings.

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"For the young, food is from Venus, farming is from Mars," says Louv. But the not-so-young, that is, the parents of our present young, are often just as alienated from reality. Food comes from the refrigerator-- well, okay, it really comes from the grocery or convenience store-- but then it ultimately comes from truckers and the Oscar Meyer factory, or General Mills maybe. No? It comes from Papa John's Pizza, delivered by driver to our doors, ready to eat. What more is worth knowing? Western culture, certainly US culture, accelerates in this noetic disconnection from its natural sustenance. However, this is but a sub-thesis for Louv, one quickly passed.

Where the topic is a personal knowledge of nature, the word `nature' is itself problematic. Within current theory, all material we can experience-- whether a polyethylene terephthalate water bottle or an oak tree-- is reducible to quarks and gluons, and is thus "natural." The reader must bare in mind what the author means by `nature': something like, those aspects of the geophysical and biological world somehow minimally altered by man (or something like that). Not that I have a more economical definition for Louv's purposes, but often his usage of `nature' is ambiguous. Avoiding this seems difficult.

Louv's book contains many important discussions, but it's repetitive and generally seems unfocused. He repeatedly introduces ideas (generally by citing/quoting various individuals) as if having more validity than they do, often then admitting that he might not accent to much of the citation he has just introduced. This dilutes and blurs the discourse; material is included that should not have been.

One of Louv's theses instructs that efforts to restrict public access to stressed and sensitive ecosystems are counterproductive. He believes that it is more important that these exact lands or waters be easily accessible, putatively so that those using the areas will become knowers and appreciators of these places and defenders of them. It is not difficult to see his point, but it strikes me as using a hammer to clean one's spectacles.

Over and against its flaws, the book makes many excellent points and I frequently identified closely with the author's observations. It's a thesis of critical consequence, and while I cautiously recommend the book, it's less than it might have been.

Customer Rating: 

this book is NOT a HOW TO for getting your child to play in the backyard. First off. there's other books for that - like I love Dirt. and stuff like that. but after reading this book you will want to go buy those books too.

This book IS a well researched, academic study and presentation on what happens when children especially, but adults as well, don't connect with nature or the world around them.
This book gives research (in an approachable anyone can read it) and study results, anecdotal information, and all out information on what happens. there is some conjecture of course. It looks at why we as a society have become more 'domesticated' and less involved with nature and the outside world. It also looks at how we can fix it. It looks at WHY we should fix it.
This is not a biased tree hugger book. this is well written, beautiful and heartbreaking. If you have any nterest in the outdoors, in sharing it with others, be it your own children, your friends, whoever, this book will make you want to do it more, and will revitalize your passion for the outdoors.

beautiful, smart, and with a voice of warning, Last child in The Woods is a book everyone should read.

Customer Rating: 

A must-read for nature lovers with or without children. It's sad that a book based on lack of unplanned, outdoor activities even need be written. However, Richard Louv hits the nail on the head with his observations and conversations with children. A great read that''ll get you thinking about what we're all missing- exactly what he was aiming for I suspect!