Kate’s 2¢: “The Eight master lessons of nature: what nature teaches us about living well in the world” BY Gary Ferguson

“The Eight master lessons of nature: what nature teaches us about living well in the world” BY Gary Ferguson

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Ferguson’s vivid descriptions throughout the book are colorful and wonderful, evoking many memories and feelings that we had a children, but, have probably lost amidst growing up with laptops, cars, and rote learning.

I take exception with the statement “…Traditional cultures helped us realize our blind spots…” I would prefer Ferguson use a term that better describes what he means, such as ‘ignorance’ or ‘areas of which we no connections’.  The word ‘blind’ should not denote a negative; just that the eyeballs have no sight.

I agree when he states, “Growing our connections to nature will allow us to push past the mere intellect to embrace sensory experiences of emotions, intuitions…” As a person, who is totally blind, I do use all of my other senses more efficiently.

“Many of the qualities we’ve developed as individuals and communities have flowed not from us to the animals, but  the other way around…Those who have made it thus far,  whether dressed in feathers or fur or blue jeans, did so  not by luck, …but by astonishing levels of resiliency.”

The beauty of Nature can take us out of ourselves to heal us within.

I’m surprised Ferguson didn’t extole the virtues of encouraging beavers to revitalize the land and chastise us for spoiling it in the first place.

From his website  and Wikipedia:

Gary Ferguson (born 1956) is an American writer. Ferguson is the author of more than 20 nonfiction books. His books have won awards from the Society of American Travel Writers, the High Plains Book Festival, and the Montana Book Award committee.[1][2][3] His book Hawks Rest was the first book to be named Book of the Year by both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association and the Mountains and Plains booksellers association.[4]

As a nature writer, his books focus on issues of ecology and conservation, with a particular focus on how people interact with nature. Gary is co-founder – along with his wife, social scientist Dr. Mary M. Clare – of “Full Ecology,” an initiative meant to help people break down the barriers between the human psyche and the natural world.

Gary Ferguson grew up in South Bend, Indiana, and graduated from the University of Indiana in 1979. He worked as an interpretive naturalist for the U.S. Forest Service before embarking on his career as a freelance writer.

Ferguson’s early career included hundreds of magazine articles as well as outdoor guidebooks such as Sawtooth Mountain Fun. He gradually shifted to more contemplative and research-oriented works such as Through the Woods: A Journey through America’s Forests and The Great Divide: The Rocky Mountains in the American Mind. He has written frequently about Yellowstone National Park, with books such as Walking Down the Wild, Decade of the Wolf, and The Yellowstone Wolves: The First Year. He lived for a summer in the most remote spot in the continental United States to write the book Hawks Rest.

Ferguson was married for more than 20 years to the former Jane Stewart, whom he met at the University of Indiana. Jane died in a canoeing accident in Ontario’s Kopka River in 2005.[5] Ferguson wrote about the experience and his grief in the memoir The Carry Home.

Ferguson lives with his second wife, cultural psychologist Mary Clare, in Red Lodge, Montana, and Portland, Oregon.[6]

Significance[edit]

Author Rick Bass called Ferguson “one of the preeminent historians of the American West, and of the place and value of wilderness within that history.”[4] He’s been lauded by writers including Pam Houston,[7] Mark Spragg, Tim Cahill, and William Kittredge.[4]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The eight master lessons of nature: what nature teaches us about living well in the world

Read by Gary Ferguson.

Science and Technology

Guide to rediscovering and cultivating a connection with the natural world. Lessons include mystery, loss, the fine art of rising again, how animals make us smarter, and how the planet’s elders make us better at life. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Download The eight master lessons of nature: what nature teaches us about living well in the world