Richard Louv is a man after my own heart.  I first heard him speak on NPR years ago and was prompted to buy an early edition of his book, Last Child in the Woods.   I owe him a huge debt.  In this book he ties together trends I had been observing but never quite connected  – at last not nearly as well as he does.

Impeccably researched and fantastically readable, this book shows us the connections between modern children’s disconnection with nature and such trends as: the rise in obesity and attention deficit disorder;  our emotional well being; notions of over-inflated fears; personal competencies; and building a future constituency for our national parks.  And more.

I consistently recommend it to anyone with an ear.   Louv has also published The Nature Principle, which is on my upcoming reading list.  Read about both here.