A review by bookwoods
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams

informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

 The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative recounts Florence Williams’ travels around the world as she visits researchers trying to answer the question posed in the title, focusing on the role of different senses, types of nature and exposure times. It is a science heavy book but in an entertaining way – featuring lengths of dialogue and funny observations to even out the statistics and brain scan results. 

There isn’t anything revolutionary in the general finding that nature is good for us, yet I enjoyed this immensely, partly for subjective reasons. Finland is an insignificant enough of a country that seeing any mention of it in a book excites me, and The Nature Fix has an entire chapter about it! As with other chapters, the focus is on research relating to benefits of nature and practical actions taken to tap into those benefits, but Williams does an excellent job at giving the context: how do the country’s history and culture affect what is being studied and what do they mean for the interpretation of the results? It feels like you learn about the countries almost as much as you learn about the science, and I didn’t mind it one bit. 

The Nature Fix motivates readers to change their daily habits, but the systemic side can’t be forgotten. One part centers around children and how important it is that fresh air, exploration, play, and natural environments take a substantial role in early education. And for any large-scale improvements to take place, everyone needs access to at least some form of nature, which isn’t easily done in an increasingly urbanized world.