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A review by language_loving_amateur
The Secret Wisdom of Nature: Trees, Animals, and the Extraordinary Balance of All Living Things --- Stories from Science and Observation by Peter Wohlleben
3.0
The subtitle "The Extraordinary Balance of All Living Things" is more fitting for the content. As forests are Peter Wohlleben's specialty, much more of the book is about forests and the animals that live in them compared to other biomes. The chapters are episodic and only loosely connected. However, episodes usually have short narratives that end with a conclusion, and that is not the case for these chapters. They stop in what would be the middle of story without giving a resolution. Perhaps the author's reason for this is because the real world work of conservation always ongoing, but the effect in book form is a let down.
The big message of the book is: Even with everything scientists and conservationists have learned about the planet, we really cannot understand all the effects any action taken in the name of conservation will have. Because nature is good at adapting and regulating itself, if slowly, in 99.9% of cases the best method of conservation is to stop all human interference with wilderness areas.
Get humans out of the way and let what happens happen.
This "look, but don't touch" philosophy of "humans are the problem" is a tough pill to swallow if you take it. And I'm not sure that I do buy into it. Last year I read Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and a take away from that book is "How we relate to and interact with the land is a problem, but those are ideas and practices we can change." This message is hard in different ways, because it asks readers to put in a lot more work than "leave it alone."
I did learn about the troubles being faced by forests in Europe, conservation efforts over there, and different aspects of climate change. As for "wisdom from nature," I didn't get much on that count, but I am glad that I have added Wohlleben's perspective to my understanding of forests and conservation. I may read more of his books in the future, but the writing was not good enough for me to prioritize them.
The big message of the book is: Even with everything scientists and conservationists have learned about the planet, we really cannot understand all the effects any action taken in the name of conservation will have. Because nature is good at adapting and regulating itself, if slowly, in 99.9% of cases the best method of conservation is to stop all human interference with wilderness areas.
Get humans out of the way and let what happens happen.
This "look, but don't touch" philosophy of "humans are the problem" is a tough pill to swallow if you take it. And I'm not sure that I do buy into it. Last year I read Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and a take away from that book is "How we relate to and interact with the land is a problem, but those are ideas and practices we can change." This message is hard in different ways, because it asks readers to put in a lot more work than "leave it alone."
I did learn about the troubles being faced by forests in Europe, conservation efforts over there, and different aspects of climate change. As for "wisdom from nature," I didn't get much on that count, but I am glad that I have added Wohlleben's perspective to my understanding of forests and conservation. I may read more of his books in the future, but the writing was not good enough for me to prioritize them.