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People and Nature in the Modern World
Yale University Press
November 2013
On Sale: November 5, 2013
242 pages ISBN: 0300176546 EAN: 9780300176544 Kindle: B00A21TX1O Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction
Human health and well-being are inextricably linked to
nature; our connection to the natural world is part of our
biological inheritance. In this engaging book, a pioneer in
the field of biophilia—the study of human beings' inherent
affinity for nature—sets forth the first full account of
nature's powerful influence on the quality of our
lives. Stephen Kellert asserts that our capacities to
think, feel, communicate, create, and find meaning in life
all depend upon our relationship to nature. And yet our
increasing disconnection and alienation from the natural
world reflect how seriously we have undervalued its
important role in our lives. Weaving scientific findings together with personal
experiences and perspectives, Kellert explores how our
humanity in the most fundamental sense—including our
physical health, and capacities for affection, aversion,
intellect, control, aesthetics, exploitation, spirituality,
and communication are deeply contingent on the quality of
our connections to the natural world. Because of this
dependency, the human species has developed over the course
of its evolution an inherent need to affiliate with
nature. But, like much of what it means to be human,
this inborn tendency must be learned to become fully
functional. In other words, it is a birthright that
must be earned. He discusses how we can restore this
balance to nature by means of changes in how we raise
children, educate ourselves, use land and resources, develop
building and community design, practice our ethics, and
conduct our everyday lives. Kellert's moving book provides
exactly what is needed now: a fresh understanding of how
much our essential humanity relies on being a part of the
natural world.
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